Tag Archives: beaches

Top 10 Things to See and Do in Tybee Island, Georgia

April 18, 2016 suzy 3 Comments

When you think about the state of Georgia, you most likely won’t think about beaches. Heck, we all go to Florida for that, right? But I have to tell you that there is one hidden jewel located right off the coast of Savannah, Georgia that will take your breath away.

Tybee Island Is a barrier island located 18 miles off the coast of Savannah, GA. Tybee is rich in history and beauty, and hosts great restaurants, accommodations and three full miles of uninterrupted public beach.

If you are interested in checking the island out, we have put together a list of the top 10 things to see and do in Tybee Island!

1. Tybee Island Lighthouse

I’m sure you already know I’m a fan of lighthouses. If I find myself near one, I just have to check it out. Tybee Lighthouse has been guiding mariners safe entrance into the Savannah River for over 270 years.

This beautiful lighthouse is surrounded by all of its historic support buildings, including the Tybee Museum, which was established in 1961.

For a small fee, you can gain entrance to the lighthouse, climb all 178 stairs and see a magnificent view of the surrounding area.

Note: Here and throughout most of the island, parking fees are required. (You can obtain a parking pass from most hotels and campgrounds in the area).

2. The Crab Shack

When we first starting going to the Crab Shack, 20 years ago, it was true to it’s name. It was really a shack. Over the years, this little restaurant has become a major tourist attraction, featuring large screened in dining rooms, outdoor dining under the trees, a gift shop, aviary, and even an alligator enclosure!

The atmosphere at this little restaurant is surely a draw. Heck, even Hollywood noticed!

The movie The General’s Daughter, starring John Travolta was filmed here.

But the biggest draw for us is the Seafood Platter. This one? This is a platter for two!

Look big?

You aren’t kidding!

This restaurant is the one that we compare every other one to. So far, nobody has beaten it.

So where do you fish? Click here for more!

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Places to Go

Our season working at the St. Petersburg KOA

April 9, 2016 suzy 2 Comments

We have been on the road now for exactly a year. And the adventure has just begun. Selling the house and nearly everything that we owned was difficult. Leaving our friends and family behind was too. But I have to tell you that we have absolutely no regrets.

Life on the road is everything we thought it would be.

We often are asked how we can support ourselves on the road and I have to say that fortunately for us, we are able to handle most of our bills with income from my websites.

However, we do need a buffer. And that is where KOA has come in. We are doing seasonal work at various campgrounds in order to supplement our income while we see the country.

We worked the summer season in Bar Harbor, Maine, at the Bar Harbor Oceanside KOA. Our winter job was at the St. Petersburg, FL KOA. Just as I did in Maine, I have compiled a video of our season at the campground in Florida.

Enjoy!

We both want to thank all the amazing folks we met at the St. Petersburg KOA for a wonderful experience.

It is a small world out there…

We hope to run into many of them again on the road.

Adventure awaits us around the corner. We are currently in Atlanta, but hope to be hitting the road next week. Our next destination?

Arizona!

Stay tuned!

Places to Go

Top 10 things to see and do in St. Petersburg Florida!

March 27, 2016 suzy 1 Comment

We have spent the last five months in St. Petersburg, FL, working at the St. Petersburg/Madeira Beach KOA.

During the winter season from November to April each year, the population of the area doubles when “snowbirds” move down from the north to enjoy the warmer winter in the area.

For us, that meant winter season jobs at the KOA! And that meant a full five months in St. Petersburg, FL, enjoying the sites and sounds of the area.

I’ve compiled a top 10 list of our favorite places to see and do in the area. Granted, it’s a bit on the foodie side. We like food. It’s a given.

Enjoy!

10. Tarpon Springs

Tarpon Springs is the self proclaimed Sponge Capital of the World. And it was a favorite destination of ours while we were in St. Petersburg. This quaint little coastal town located about 45 north of St. Petersburg had lots of great little shops, handmade soaps, and awesome Greek food.

Oh, and sponges too!

It is a small port that houses the sponge industry. Very entertaining. It is worth the short drive. Be sure to check out the Spongeorama Sponge Factory for the free movie on how the sponge industry started in Tarpon Springs and the sponge museum.

To read about our adventure in Tarpon Springs – Click Here!

9. Twistee Treat

We love ice cream. So there was no way that we could just drive by this huge 20 foot tall ice cream cone without stopping to try out the menu. Twistee Treat is a Florida thing. They are located throughout the state, with two locations right in the St. Pete area.

They specialize in old fashioned soft serve ice cream, yogurt, and other tasty treats. The awesome part? They offer 66 different flavors of soft serve!

Of course this meant my challenge was to try all 66 of those flavors. I made through over half the list, I’m proud to say!

Want to know some great places to view wildlife? Click here…

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Places to Go

Manatee Viewing at Apollo Beach!

March 11, 2016 suzy

I have a confession to make. Until recently, I was not aware of the existence of manatees.

Yes. I know.

Our time here in Florida is getting short. So I wanted to take the time before we leave to witness this beautiful and shy creature that I had heard a whole lot about.

And where do you go to see lots of manatees in one place? Well, it just happens to be a power plant!

The Big Bend Power Station in Apollo Beach has won many awards over the years for helping the environment, while creating a clean source of electric power. The power station takes salt water from Tampa Bay, uses it to cool Unit 4, and then puts it back into the canal. The water is not only clean, but most importantly- warm.

This clean warm water attracts large numbers of Manatees. They love the fact that in the winter, when Tampa Bay gets a bit chilly, there is a nice toasty place to hang out!

The Manatee Viewing Center soon came to be. It is a state and federally designated manatee sanctuary. And best of all- it is a free attraction!

So what the heck is a Manatee?

They are large aquatic mammal with flippers- looking somewhat like a sea lion. Although, I did read that their closest relative is actually an elephant! The average adult manatee is about 10 feet long and weighs around 1,000 pounds.

They are gentle and slow moving, spending most of their time eating, resting and traveling.

Hmmm….come to think of it, that sounds a whole lot like us!

Our friends Rick and Judy came along with us. This will probably be our last outing together for a while. Rick and Judy are also work campers. They are headed to Montana to work there for the summer.

The great thing about work camping is that you meet some great people.

Of course I had to pose with my new friend the manatee!

He’d never heard of me either…

And yes, there were manatees!

The refuge had lots of great walking trails, mangrove swamps, a gift shop and even a small cafe.

It also included a great little museum where we learned tons about the manatees and the environment that they live in.

If you ever get to this part of Florida, we highly recommend this fun and educational attraction!

And speaking of Florida, we will be heading out of here next week. We really did enjoy our stay here!

There is a reason our home is on wheels, though. We are in this to travel! We will be headed to Atlanta for a few doctor appointments, to visit some family, and then onto Arizona!

Stay tuned!

Camping Life

What is your word for the New Year?

January 6, 2016 suzy 7 Comments

A new year. If there was one word that best describes the year 2015 for us, it would be “change”. It was definitely a year of change. We have seen so many beautiful things this year, made lots of great new friends, and are both so much healthier now than we have been in years.

A year of change.

Christmas didn’t involve the normal family get togethers this year. It was a little strange celebrating the holidays in 90 degree weather.

Yes, record highs! Florida was supposed to be temperate this time of year. Dave calls it Tropical. I call it False Advertising.

But with new lives and new places come new traditions. We celebrated with a beach picnic with our friends from Bar Harbor, Rick and Judy.

New Year resolutions? Well, let’s just say that my main resolution this year is to continue to live freely. To take some advice from my dog Ralph who insists that New Years resolutions need to be simple.

Be nice to nice people.

Enjoy life, travel, go on an adventure.

Rather than focus on resolutions, I am focusing on one word this year. From the website, One Word 365,

One word you can focus on every day, all year long… One word that sums up who you want to be or how you want to live.

It will take intentionality and commitment, but if you let it, your one word will shape not only your year, but also you. It will become the compass that directs your decisions and guides your steps.

So let’s consider that word while I tell you about our holiday.

How do you celebrate Christmas when you are miles from your relatives and currently living in neverending sauna?

You snag your good friends and head to the beach for a picnic! Fort De Soto, to be exact.

Fort De Soto Park is one of my favorite places in the St. Pete area. It is located on five offshore keys, or islands just south of the city. Historically, the islands were used for military fortifications. There are two piers, beaches, picnic areas, hiking trails, bicycling trails, kayak trail, and even a ferry to Egmont Key State Park!

This is Rick and Judy! We met them while working in Bar Harbor, Maine. Winter jobs are hard to get in the camping industry. You see, Florida is in pretty high demand in the winter because much of the campgrounds in cooler areas are closed for the winter.

This means that you might very well run across folks that you worked with in other areas of the country if you are wintering in Florida. Rick and Judy, and one other couple that we worked with in Maine, are working with us here in St. Petersburg.

It’s very nice to have friends in the area to celebrate with.

And do a bit of beach combing with.

Rick and Judy will be heading to the northwest in the spring, and we will be headed to Arizona. We will definitely miss them. The camping world is a small place, so we just may end up working together again in the future.

Change is becoming a regular occurrence.

Oh, and speaking of change, guess who stayed up past midnight for the first time in 30 years?

We have some plans for 2016. We will be here until March, and then will be moving onto Arizona for the summer. The fall is still a mystery. But that is half the fun.

That word for 2016? Let’s go with “Adventure”. And we will see where that takes us.

Happy New Year!

Camping Life

Christmas in Florida

December 13, 2015 suzy 8 Comments

We have been settled in St. Petersburg, Florida for about a month now. I am still behind on posting, but wanted to take some time to catch you up on our travels. In the past month we have visited our favorite place, Tybee Island, GA, attended my daughter’s wedding in Atlanta, and even endured some RV problems.

But we finally made it to our winter destination, St. Petersburg/Madeira Beach KOA. We will be here until March or April, when we begin to head west.

I have to tell you that I miss the snow. As pretty as Florida is, I would prefer to be trekking through several feet of pure white snow. But the RV and Dave both would like to have a warmer winter.

We arrived to 95 degree weather with nearly 100% humidity. Looks like the RV and Dave both got their wish.

Our new spot is quite beautiful and the campground is like a little resort, so I really do not have a lot to complain about. They tucked us in with the snowbirds who all seem very nice. And we even have grass!

Ralph and Faith like it too. They both have lots of things to keep their interest. In fact, there are so many lizards running around here that it is hard to get Ralph to take a poop without getting distracted.

And Faith has an issue with herons (those tall legged white birds with the long necks), so there is always plenty of excitement when I take them outside.

We are working at the campground here. I am in the office and Dave is working on the grounds. And…we are getting the place spiffied up for Christmas!

Dave put up all the blow up decorations this week, and then spent quite a bit of time freaking Ralph out over this outhouse Santa.

Ralph is not a fan of Santas exiting an outhouse. Just saying.

The streets are decorated too! What do you do when there are no fir trees around?

You improvise.

We felt the need to decorate the coach too. Since we had no nearby fir trees to decorate, Dave and I picked out a tiny tree at a local Christmas tree stand.

Charlie Brown would be proud.

Our tree turned out great! We ended up with just enough room in the living room for it. The little table is actually my printer box covered in blankets. (I’m the master of multi- purpose!)

Oh. Did I mention there is a beach nearby? It is 2.5 miles from the campground to Madeira Beach. There will be plenty of beach photos in the next few months.

We have yet to located any great eating places to share with you, but I’m sure we will have a top 10 list before we leave the area.

Since ice cream is my second hobby, I do feel the need to mention this fun soft serve stand, Twistee Treat. There are actually a few of them in the area, all shaped like giant ice cream cones.

And apparently, I have my new challenge for this leg of the trip. Trying each and everyone of those awesome flavors!

Oh, and by the way. That is a medium size cone there. Can’t even imagine what the large one might look like. I think I’m going to like Florida.

On the beach there are snowmen. This will probably be as close as I get to snow this winter. I’ll take what I can get.

And the sunsets here are beautiful too. Christmas in Florida can be quite beautiful!

If you squint a bit, that white sand could be snow. Right?

Stay tuned!

Places to Go

A visit to the New England Coast

November 19, 2015 suzy 1 Comment

I’m a little behind on posts. We are currently in St. Petersburg, FL at our current campground job. Over the past month, we’ve traveled south, attended a beautiful wedding, and even had some major RV issues. Lot’s of ground to cover! So I’m going pick where we left off…

After leaving New Hampshire, we headed toward the coast to check out Boston Cape Cod KOA. Upon arrival, we were greeted by the manager who told us that Bar Harbor Oceanside KOA had won the Founders Award!

This is one of the top awards given out by KOA based on customer satisfaction. We were thrilled to be part of it! And how awesome to be recognized as part of a successful team!

And speaking of great campgrounds, Boston Cape Cod had lots of green space and large shady RV spots. We made ourselves at home and pulled out some maps to check out the area.

We wanted to see the beach and decided to start with Nobska Point Lighthouse. The Nobska Point Light is located at the southwestern tip of Cape Cod, in Massachusetts. It overlooks Martha’s Vineyard and Nonamessett Island.

The light station was established in 1826, and the current tower dates to 1876.

If you don’t know by now, I simply cannot pass up a lighthouse photo.

Or a fun bird photo for that matter. It was rainy that day and the ocean was full of white caps and foam which made for a cool background in this seagull photo.

And look at the rocks! Have I mentioned before how much I love fun rocks? In fact, last time we were in Massachusetts, I found rocks to love.

After a day of perusing the beaches, we stopped at the local diner.

One of the many things I love about the New England area is all the vintage diners. Yummy food served quickly and in a nostalgic atmosphere. This diner, interesting enough is called “Dave’s Diner“. Easy to remember, right?

While it looks like a vintage diner, it was actually built in 1998. The diner colors, layout and decor were carefully chosen to create the fun and colorful look of the 50’s era.

And the food was delicious!

Of course, no trip to Cape Cod would be complete without a visit to Plymouth Rock, right?

Upon entering the town of Plymouth, we saw this impressive structure along the shore. The rock was waiting for us inside! We prepared ourselves to be duly impressed. This rock had seen so much history!

Here is where the pilgrims first stepped onto shore from their ship, the Mayflower!

Well…it must have been a small ship. Or the rock shrunk. Or something. I wasn’t prepared for how small it actually was.

And it turns out after some research that no historical evidence exists to confirm this rock as the Pilgrim’s actual stepping stone to the New World. Plymouth rock is more of a symbol of the courage and faith of the men and women who founded the first colony in New England.

And that is okay with me. Even if it was slightly underwhelming.

According to my research, the rock as it exists today is estimated to be only about 1/3 to 1/2 of it’s original size due to being broken and chipped away at by 18th and 19th century souvenir hunters.

Oh, and notice the scar across it? Apparently sometime in the 1800’s, it was decided to move part of the rock to the center of town where folks could better enjoy it. That part was eventually moved back to join the rest of the rock a few years later, and “frankensteined” back onto the other half.

We might have been a tiny bit disappointed by the rock, but the replica of the Mayflower definitely made up for it. And the beautiful sunset behind it.

Red skies at night means “sailors delight”.

New England was beautiful. Someday, we hope to return and spend a bit more time there. But time was going fast. We had to be in Atlanta by November 1 for my daughter’s wedding and then onto our new job in St. Pete.

So we hit the road again.

The dog’s snagged their favorite spots in the front of the coach, and we set out for our next stop, Lake Hopatcong, NJ.

New Jersey, you say? What the heck is in New Jersey? Well, you just might be surprised…

Places to Go

The New England Coast

April 29, 2015 suzy 7 Comments

We decided to add another stop on our route to Maine in order to make the drive times less strenuous for Dave. Seems that keeping the distance no longer than 320 miles was a perfect scenario for him. So with that in mind, our next stop was a small campground in Salisbury, MA.

The weather? Well, it was not cooperating. Seems that skies are sunny unless we are hitching up the car and getting ready to hit the road. It poured down rain on us as we prepared to leave Connecticut behind.

Fortunately there was sun waiting for us in Massachusetts.

It was too late, though. I officially had Rosanne Rosannadanna hair, much to Dave’s amusement.

Salisbury? Well, because of the rainy weather, and the fact that we were only in town a day, we did not get to see a whole lot of it. The community is a popular summer resort beach town situated on the Atlantic Ocean, north of Boston, right on the New Hampshire border.

We can, however, recommend the Seaglass Restaurant, located right on the ocean in downtown Salisbury. After a chilly, rainy day, a hot bowl of New England Clam Chowder certainly hit the spot.

And the great thing about the Seaglass Restaurant is the fact that you can sit and watch the ocean while enjoying your meal!

And this is what is called a Lobster Roll. It is a mix of lobster, veggies and special sauce in a hotdog bun. We will find out later that this particular item is hugely popular in New England.

The sun came out the next day and as we headed north, we made a pitstop in the town of Hampton, NH. What beautiful scenery!

Hampton Beach boasts a mile long boardwalk and Hampton Center which is lined with fast food and full service restaurants offering seafood, onion rings, fried dough and much more. You’ll also find lounges offering nightly entertainment, candy stores, gift shops and mini golf and amusement arcades.

And just look at the rocks! Yep, that is where my mind goes. You can take a crafter anywhere, and they just see potential.

This is what I see! Painted Paisley Stones – of course!

Hampton Beach was full of activity including this lone scuba diver.

We noted that there is a RV park located right down the road from this beautiful spot. Hampton Beach State Park has RV campsites right on the ocean. The campground, with 28 sites, is open for reservations from Memorial Day weekend through Columbus Day weekend.

It is definitely a spot we will keep in mind if we are in the area when it is open.

So… our next stop is Bar Harbor, Maine! We are excited and just a tad nervous to find out what is on the horizon. See you there!

Places to Go

The beautiful coast of Connecticut!

April 25, 2015 suzy 3 Comments

Driving north from Hershey, we rolled into Aces High Campground in East Lyme, CT. We took a slight departure from KOA and chose this campground based on the fact that it was close to the ocean and boasted lakeside lots.

The weather was beautiful and we managed to get a spot right along side the lake. Well, I have to admit that we were pretty much the only ones there. We shared a campground with geese, ducks, and about 10 RV’s that were being stored there for the winter.

The dogs and I discovered a great walking trail that took us all the way around the lake. Cool shot, right? Of course after taking the photo, I had to spend 20 minutes untangling Faith from tree trunks.

Oh, and it was about a minute after that when my brand new (six day old) iPhone 6 suddenly bit the dust. As a professional blogger with a major dependency on my mobile hot spot, this was a big deal.

So we ended up spending our entire first day in Connecticut looking for someone to replace my iPhone6. You see, AT&T (while they were happy to take my money), do not support the iPhone. They told us we would need to go to Apple.

We ended up having to drive an hour to the Apple Genius Bar in New Haven in order to get my phone replaced. The day actually turned out much better once we got there. The Genius Bar was located right in the center of Yale University. They cheerfully replaced my phone and we were able to see Yale University up close and personal at the same time!

On the way back home, we did a detour to the coast and enjoyed some beautiful sandy beaches. Dave challenged me to a 2 mile hike along this sandy trail.

Ever tried to walk for two miles in loose sand? My daily exercise quota was totally met. In fact, I’m going for another aspirin right now…

The next day, we visited Mystic Seaport. Not doing any research up front, I assumed that Mystic Seaport was just a huge harbor full of ships.

It turns out that Mystic Seaport is the nation’s leading maritime museum. It is home to four National Historic Landmark vessels, including the Charles W. Morgan, the last wooden whaleship in the world. The museum features a working preservation shipyard, a re-created 19th-century seafaring village, exhibits and even a planetarium.

The town of Mystic was quaint and colorful, and full of art! Totally my kind of town.

You know, my sister has perfected the selfie with her face in the foreground and something awesome behind her.

Us? Not so much.

You can’t tell by the photo, but he is holding the camera (because he has longer arms) and I am pushing the button (because he can’t seem to hold the camera and push the button at the same time). In all the commotion, trying to push the button and get my short squatty head and his super tall head in the same frame, we always seem to lose the cool thing in the background.

For the record, it was a boat.

And I certainly cannot talk about Mystic without mentioning the lighthouses! The New London Harbor Lighthouse was originally built in 1801. The keeper’s dwelling is now a private residence, but the lighthouse is still active. Tours need to be arranged for this lighthouse by appointment only, so we didn’t get to see it up close and personal.

And there is the New London Ledge Lighthouse! This one fascinates me because it has been featured on several ghost hunting shows. I love ghost stories.

This floating lighthouse, originally built in 1901, is famous for the ghost of an early keeper, nicknamed “Ernie,” who allegedly haunts the lighthouse. Lighthouses keepers in the past have reported unexplained knockings, doors opening and closing repeatedly, the television turning on and off by itself and even the unexplained removal of sheets from beds!