Everglades NP - 11/16/15 - Homestead, FL

Monday – November 16, 2015
Everglades National Park
Homestead, Florida

We spent a delightful weekend with two of my cousins (brother and sister) that live in the Kissimmee and St. Cloud, Florida area. It’s been about 20 years that we had seen one another. It was so nice to reunite after all those years.

One of my cousins shared pictures of our families dating back to the early 1900’s. She also had a handwritten notebook of a chronological log that one of our relative’s had recorded of our family history dating back to the early 1900’s.

On Sunday our families met for dinner at The Catfish Place in St. Cloud for dinner. This restaurant definitely lives up to its reputation for serving up the very best catfish in the area. Great food, great company, great way to end our visit until the next time we get together.

We departed Kissimmee, Florida via the southbound Florida Turnpike. After traveling for about thirty minutes, we were shocked when an idiot driver passed us on the shoulder at a high rate of speed.

Our destination today is one of our favorite Florida locations: Everglades National Park. There are two campgrounds there: Long Pine Key and Flamingo. Long Pine Key is dry camping only and is located six miles from the entrance. Flamingo has dry camping and electric campsites and is located forty miles from the entrance. We prefer Long Pine Key. Its campsites offer more privacy and it is closer to shopping in Homestead, Florida.

Flamingo is open all year (restroom facilities are closed April through October) and Long Pine Key is open November through April. Long Pine Key was closed when we arrived. It was scheduled to open on Tuesday, 11/17/15. We proceeded to Flamingo and secured a campsite with an electric hookup. The Flamingo campground is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean on the east and the Gulf of Mexico on the west.

There are five camping areas within the Flamingo campground:

Walk-In Section:
65 campsites. Tent camping only allowed. Located in an expansive, treeless area adjacent to the Atlantic Ocean shoreline. No hookups. Water spigot at restroom facility with flush toilets.

Loop A:
55 campsites. Campsites for tents and small recreational vehicles. Some shaded campsites. No hookups. Water spigots available at two restroom facilities with flush toilets and solar heated showers. One dump station.

Loop B:
58 campsites. Campsites for tents and small recreational vehicles. Some shaded campsites. No hookups. Water spigots available at two restroom facilities with flush toilets. One restroom facility has solar heated showers.

Loop C:
56 campsites. Campsites for tents and small recreational vehicles. Some shaded campsites. No hookups. Water spigot available at restroom facility with flush toilets.

Loop T:
65 campsites. Camping restricted to recreational vehicles only. Campsites 1 through 41 have electric hookups. Campsites 42 through 65, no hookups. Water spigots available at two restroom facilities with flush toilets. One restroom facility has solar heated showers. One dump station.

This was our first time visiting Everglades National Park in November and we were surprised to see how few campers were visiting the area at this time of the year. In our previous visits in February 2012 and 2013 camping at Flamingo campsites with electric hookups were by reservation only, AND there were no mosquitoes! During this visit no reservations were required.

During our stay here through Saturday, 11/21/15, the weather forecast shows sunny, warm and humid days will prevail, with temperatures in the mid-eighties and matching humidity.

Tomorrow another adventure begins.

Travel Details:
Departed: Kissimmee, Florida
Departure Time: 10:35 A.M.

Arrived: Everglades National Park - Homestead, Florida
Arrival Time: 4:30 P.M.

Campground: Flamingo
Type: National Park
GPS Coordinates: Latitude: N25.13783 Longitude: W080.94160
Camping Fee: $15.00 (with Golden Age Pass)
Campsite: 27
Campsite Hookups: Electric
Campground Amenities: Water Spigots, Flush Toilets, Showers, Dump Stations

Cellular Service: Verizon – No Service
Internet Service: No Service

Total miles traveled today: 294
Route Traveled:
South on Florida Turnpike
South on U.S. Highway 1
West on Florida Highway 9336 to Everglades National Park

Mill Creek RV Resort - 11/13/15 - Kissimmee, FL

Friday – November 13, 2015
Mill Creek RV Resort
Kissimmee, Florida

We enjoyed a restful night at the Florida rest area on Interstate 75, mile-marker 346, near Ocala, Florida. Now we will head to Kissimmee, Florida to spend the weekend while we visit with two of my cousins that I haven’t seen for about 20 years.

But first, we have to find a place to stay! Staying true to our traveling lifestyle, we do not reserve campsites in advance. We prefer not to be constrained to be at a certain place by a certain time. In our 25 years of enjoying the RV lifestyle, we have always been successful in securing a campsite without a reservation.

While in route to Kissimmee, Florida, "Navigator Sharon" consulted our Allstays Camp and RV app on my Android LG G4 smartphone. The app provided numerous private campgrounds within the Kissimmee area. Further research showed the Mill Creek RV Resort offered a special daily rate of $19.00 through December 21^st. Their regular rate is $36.00 per day. Upon our arrival at the Mill Creek RV Resort, they honored the $19.00 daily rate. This will be our home for the weekend.

Mill Creek RV Resort offers accommodations for all ages. It is a mix of permanent trailer structures, travel trailers and motorhomes for permanent residents. The remaining campsites are available for Snow Birds. The resort is typical of private campgrounds; closely spaced campsites that offer minimal privacy. As much as we dislike private campgrounds, the price is right while we use this as our base camp while we visit my cousins in the area.

Tomorrow another adventure begins.

Travel Details:
Departed: Ocala, Florida
Departure Time: 9:10 A.M.

Arrived: Kissimmee, Florida
Arrival Time: 10:40 P.M.

Campground: Mill Creek RV Resort – 2775 Michigan Ave. – Kissimmee, FL 34744
Type: Private
GPS Coordinates: Latitude: N28.32824 Longitude: W081.38883
Camping Fee: $19.00
Campsite: 503
Campsite Hookups: Electric, Water, Sewer
Campground Amenities: Flush Toilets, Showers

Cellular Service: Verizon - 4G, 4 Bars
Internet Service: Free WiFi throughout campground

Total miles traveled today: 79
Route Traveled:
South on  I-75 toward Tampa.
Then 23.67 miles
Keep left to take FL-91 S/Florida's Tpke S via EXIT 328 toward Orlando (Portions toll).
Then 59.54 miles
Take the Osceola Parkway exit, EXIT 249.
Then 0.32 miles
Keep right to take the ramp toward Kissimmee/Disney World.
Then 0.05 miles
Merge onto E Osceola Pkwy.
Then 0.38 miles
Turn left onto Michigan Ave.
Michigan Ave is 0.2 miles past Bill Beck Blvd
VALERO is on the corner
If you reach Old Dixie Hwy you've gone about 0.3 miles too far
Then 0.86 miles
2775 MICHIGAN AVE is on the left.

Ocala, FL - 11/12/15

Thursday – November 12, 2015
Ocala, Florida

We enjoyed a restful night at the Gunter Hill campground near Montgomery, Alabama. The weather here is overcast, cool and damp with the temperature in the fifties. We are looking forward to reaching warmer weather. Our next stop will be an area close to Kissimmee, Florida.

About fifty miles north of Interstate10 we were rewarded with clear, sunny skies. A welcome relief from the dreary, cool weather we left behind in Montgomery, Alabama.

During our travel east on Interstate 10 we decided we would spend the night in one of the Florida rest areas on Interstate 75, south of Interstate 10. Florida rest areas have nighttime security and in our experience offer a safe place to spend the night. Some of the rest areas offer separate parking for RV’s. After consulting our Rest Area Guide, we settled on one near Ocala, Florida. We will spend the night at that rest area.

Tomorrow another adventure begins.

Travel Details:
Departed: Montgomery, Alabama
Departure Time: 10:15 A.M.

Arrival: Ocala, Florida
Arrival Time: 8:45 P.M.

Campground: Rest Area, Interstate 75, Mile-Marker 346
Type: Rest Area
Camping Fee: Free
Campsite: RV Parking Area
Campsite Hookups: None
Campground Amenities: Flush Toilets

Cellular Service: Verizon - 4G, 3 Bars
Internet Service: Verizon Jetpack

Total miles traveled today: 396
Route Traveled:
South on U.S. Highway 231
East on Interstate 10
South on Interstate 75

 

Gunter Hill CG - 11/11/15 - Montgomery, AL

Wednesday – November 11, 2015
Gunter Hill COE Campground
Montgomery, Alabama

We enjoyed a restful night at the Fort Massac State Park campground in Metropolis, Illinois.

We are anxious to depart Illinois and get as far south as we can today to avoid the severe weather that is expected to cover Illinois and mid-south region of the U.S. later today.

We enjoyed favorable, sunny weather for the major portion of our travel to Montgomery, Alabama. A few miles north of Montgomery, we encountered overcast skies. Upon our arrival at the Gunter Hill campground, standing water throughout the campground suggested the area had experienced a considerable amount of rain recently.

We will spend one night at the Gunter Hill campground.

Tomorrow another adventure begins.

Travel Details:
Departed: Metropolis, Illinois
Departure Time: 8:50 A.M.

Arrival: Montgomery, Alabama
Arrival Time: 5:15 P.M.

Campground: Gunter Hill – 561 Booth Rd. – Montgomery, AL
Type: Army Corp of Engineering
GPS Coordinates: Latitude: N32.36667 Longitude: W086.46667
Camping Fee: $12.00 (with Golden Age Passport)
Campsite: 51
Campsite Hookups: Electric, Water
Campground Amenities: Flush Toilets, Showers, Dump Station

Cellular Service: Verizon - 4G, 1 Bar
Internet Service: Verizon Jetpack

Total miles traveled today: 432
Route Traveled:
East on Interstate 24
South on Interstate 65
Take the US-31 exit, EXIT 186, toward Prattville/Pine Level.
Then 0.23 miles
Keep right to take the ramp toward Prattville.
Then 0.03 miles
Turn slight right onto Highway 31 N/US-31 S/AL-3. Continue to follow US-31 S/AL-3.
Then 13.89 miles
Turn right onto US-31 S/AL-3/AL-15/West Blvd.
US-31 S is 0.5 miles past Capital Plaza Dr
Then 1.40 miles
Turn right onto Old Selma Rd.
Old Selma Rd is just past Well Rd
If you reach Mace St you've gone about 0.1 miles too far
Then 4.78 miles
Turn right onto Booth Rd.
Booth Rd is 0.3 miles past Wedgewood Ave

Our Winter Adventure Begins - 11/10/15

Tuesday – November 10, 2015
Our Winter Adventure 2015 / 2016 Begins
Metropolis, Illinois

We embark upon our winter adventure under a sunny sky and cool temperatures in the low fifties. Sharon and I are excited to be back on the road again, after spending the past five months at our home base in Illinois.

Our exit from the Chicago area is timely. Severe weather is expected to arrive in the area on Wednesday, bringing heavy rain downpours and wind gusts up to 70 mph.

This winter adventure will take us to Florida to visit family during November and early December. Following our visit to Florida, we will head west to ride out the winter months in Yuma, Arizona. We spent our first winter in Arizona during 2014 / 2015 and really enjoyed the southwest desert region.

We will spend one night at the Fort Massac State Park.

Tomorrow another adventure begins.

Travel Details:
Departed: Chicago Area
Departure Time: 10:05 A.M.

Arrival: Metropolis, Illinois
Arrival Time: 5:20 P.M.

Campground: Fort Massac
Type: State Park
GPS Coordinates: Latitude: N37.14671 Longitude: W088.70888
Camping Fee: $15.00 (with senior discount)
Campsite: 25A
Campsite Hookups: Electric
Campground Amenities: Water Spigots, Flush Toilets, Dump Station

Cellular Service: Verizon - 4G, 2 Bars
Internet Service: Verizon Jetpack

Total miles traveled today: 382
Route Traveled:
South on Interstate 57
East on Interstate 24
South on U.S. Highway 45 to campground

Navy Pier - 07/09/15 - Chicago, IL

Thursday – July 9, 2015
Navy Pier
Chicago, Illinois

We enjoyed a four-day visit with our 15 year-old grandson this week. He lives in Panama City, Florida and doesn’t get to visit Chicago that often, so we took him to one of our favorite spots in Chicago – Navy Pier.

Navy Pier, built in 1916, extends 3,300 feet from the Chicago shoreline out into Lake Michigan and offers a wonderful view of the Chicago skyline. Today, the pier is one of the most visited attractions in the entire Midwestern United States and is Chicago's number one tourist attraction.

The Pier and its grounds encompass more than 50 acres of parks, gardens, shops, restaurants and other shore entertainment, including a ballroom, a concert stage, and convention exhibition halls.

Major attractions include a Ferris Wheel, an IMAX theater, the Chicago Shakespeare Theater, Amazing Chicago's Funhouse Maze, the Chicago Children's Museum, and at the entrance to Navy Pier is a statue of Oak Park comedian Bob Newhart, sponsored by the TV Land network.

Visitors can enjoy a ride on the iconic Ferris Wheel that reaches 150 feet into the sky, offering sweeping views of the Chicago skyline and Lake Michigan. The Ferris Wheel is open year-round, weather permitting. It never stops; people enter and depart the Ferris Wheel’s gondolas while it is slowly rotating around.

The Pier is used as an embarkation point for tour and excursion boats and is a popular place to watch lakefront events, including the annual Air and Water airshow and the parade of lighted and decorated boats during Chicago's Venetian Night festival.

Navy Pier attractions include sightseeing tours from companies such as Seadog Ventures, Shoreline Sightseeing cruises and Water Taxi service, and the Tall Ship Windy. There are also dinner cruises by Entertainment Cruises, on their ships the Spirit of Chicago, The Odyssey II, and the Mystic Blue.

The Pier has fireworks on Wednesday and Saturday nights during the summer and Saturday nights during the fall.

We bid goodbye to Navy Pier as the sun was setting behind the skyline of Chicago.

We finished off this day of adventure with a deep-dish pizza at Lou Malnatti’s.

Tomorrow another adventure begins.

Buffalo Chicken Kebabs - 06/02/15 - Chicago, IL

Tuesday – June 2, 2015
Buffalo Chicken Kebabs
Chicago, Illinois

While perusing The Chew web site recently, I came across this recipe for buffalo chicken wings with celery blue cheese salad. I decided to try it out on our COBB grill this evening.

After finishing this delicious meal, Sharon and I both agreed this recipe is definitely a "keeper."

BUFFALO CHICKEN KEBABS WITH CELERY BLUE CHEESE SALAD

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs (cut into 1 inch cubes)
• 1/2 cup buffalo hot sauce
• 2 cups sliced celery (peeled and then sliced 1/8 inch thick on a bias)
• 1/4 cup finely sliced scallions
• 1 jalapeno (thinly sliced)
• 1/4 cup parsley leaves (torn)
• 1/2 cup crumbles blue cheese
• olive oil
• kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 6 bamboo skewers (soaked in water for 1 hour)

Step-by-Step Directions

1. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Place the seasoned pieces in a gallon-sized bag and add the hot sauce. Seal the bag and marinate the chicken for 2-3 hours or overnight.
2. The next day, remove the chicken from the fridge and allow it to rest at room temperature, for about 30 minutes.
3. Remove the chicken from the bag and add about 4 pieces to each skewer. Lightly drizzle with olive oil.
4. Preheat a grill or grill pan to medium high heat. Add the skewers to the grill, cover and cook for 5 minutes. Flip, recover, and continue to cook for another 5 minutes. Remove to a platter to rest for 5 minutes, tented with foil, before serving.
5. Meanwhile make the salad by combining the celery, scallions, jalapenos and parsley leaves. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Gently fold in the blue cheese.
6. Serve the skewers on top or alongside the celery salad.
7. Tip: Substitute your favorite marinade if you're not a buffalo sauce fan!

Here’s a video that shows how to make this delicious meal. Enjoy!

Tomorrow another adventure begins.