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Southern Crawl

A 100-day adventure by Geezers in Paradise Read more
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  • Geezers in ParadiseSouthern CrawlTraveler

    Cape Hatteras KOA

    September 29, 2015 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 77 °F

    This is a fine KOA, though not a tree in sight. Gordon got to swim in the Atlantic ocean waves for the first time (being very careful not to drift into the fishing lines or out to sea).

    Heather was TERRIFIED as there were a lot of waves and choppy surf, and it looked like one heck of an "under-toad". But Gordon survived. Heather amused herself with watching Gordon, playing with the miniscule crabs peaking out from their sand holes, finding a couple of beautiful, translucently colored shell remnants that will make lovely pendants, and laughing at the mama sandpiper teaching her baby to hunt miniscule crabs. Heather hopes it was not a close relative she had for lunch in her soft shell crab sandwich today.Read more

  • Geezers in ParadiseSouthern CrawlTraveler

    Alligator River NationAl Wildlife Refuge

    September 30, 2015 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 77 °F

    Or, "The Ones that Got Away ..."

    We left camp this morning, with high hopes of seeing some wild life as we headed back up the outer banks, and across the Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge (where there are apparently still plenty of bears (!?) to be seen.

    We actually had a good measure of success, but zero success on the photo front. We saw flocks of Egrets (car moving too fast), pelicans on the wing (Wilson Nicoll memorial railing on the road), four large turtles at least a foot across all lined up on a log (which Heather missed because she had her nose in the navigation app trying to find a turnoff where we could see some wildlife), an alligator (which Heather looked up MAYbe in time for, but it just looked like a log to her but she's SURE Gordon is right).

    Then later, as we drove south toward Wilmington, Gordon saw a field of tobacco and an excellent field of cotton. Heather was sleeping. But we saw LOTS of cotton fields after that, but Gordon nixed photos of ALL of them because "there weren't enough cotton balls."

    The scenery was great. The little towns were picturesque. The bathroom stops were infrequent. Alas, you will just have to imagine it all.    Read more

  • Geezers in ParadiseSouthern CrawlTraveler

    Wilmington

    September 30, 2015 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 81 °F

    Before heading for camp, we stopped at the Blue Surf Cafe in Wilmington for lunch. Or dinner ... it was about 3:00. Though it looked inauspicious sitting in a small strip mall, our meal was stupendous. Baja shrimp tacos with spicy greens and chipotle mayonnaise on the most amazing fresh-made corn tortillas. On the side was a chili-mango and radish salsa on mizuma greens which has to be tasted to be believed. It was worth the wait.

    We weighed going off and doing tourist things, but decided just to set up camp and relax. Thunderstorms are promised (in fact we are listening to some distant thunder right now), and we were VERY hot and tired. Heather was so hot, she spilled apple cider all over, and GORDON was so hot he didn't know whether he wanted a beer or not. Heather RAN to the trunk and grabbed and emergency IPA.

    The campground is about 5 miles from Wrightsville Beach, and we have a lovely private spot nestled in sand and gnarly coastal pines. It is finally cooling off and the thunder has grown to occasionally shake the entire trailer.

    MORHING UPDATE: We awoke at 6:00 to a veritable concert of barnyard bellows. A VERY active and persistent rooster who sounded unlike any rooster I've ever heard. Being a North Carolina rooster, perhaps he was doing a rebel yell. Not to be outdone a very agitated dog was shouting counterpoint machine gun style. A poor beleaguered turkey, obviously straining for any space in the serenade, filled any silence with a soft gobble. Gordon is sure he heard a pig adding his disapproving grunts but i must have missed those when i plugged my ears. We finally gave it up and got out of bed. We soon realized it must have been our angels alerting us to get up and LOOK AT THE WEATHER!    Read more

  • Geezers in ParadiseSouthern CrawlTraveler

    Fleeing the Floods!

    October 1, 2015 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 70 °F

    Oh holy cow! Hurricane Joaquin is hot on our tails. Will we make it to Charleston before being swept out to sea? We figure we have today to enjoy Charleston and then we need to hightail it inland. WHEEEEEEEEE!Read more

  • Geezers in ParadiseSouthern CrawlTraveler

    Sugar Confections Bakery

    October 1, 2015 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 70 °F

    We stopped in Shallotte for a morning treat at this small bakery, again an unassuming affair in a strip mall. The owners were there, a young couple from New Jersey. Gordonwas immediately seduced by the sweet roll. Heather had them explainabout all of their sweets. They use only King Auther flour and butter, and don't use lots of spices, especially allspice. Heather finally chose the pumpkin roll. It was made from dense pumkin bread with lots of nuts. The sliced and and formed into a loaf using a creamcheese frosting to hold to pieces together. Then sliced again. Heather was unable to eat it all and has saved the rest for later incase one of us who shall mot be named gets hungry.Read more

  • Geezers in ParadiseSouthern CrawlTraveler

    The coastal road

    October 1, 2015 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 70 °F

    We have decided to take the coastal road even though we are risking certain death bu getting caught in the hurricane and the mass panic that a evacuation might cause.

  • Geezers in ParadiseSouthern CrawlTraveler

    The better part of wisdom

    October 1, 2015 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 68 °F

    Ahem. We could not see charleston from the freeway as we drove thru due to fog and driving rain. We decided that caution was the better part of wisdom in the face of Hurricane Joaquin and rapidly creeping flood warning areas. We are now headed back to a solid roof over our heads at Laurie and John's house. The Wilson Nicoll memorial "Always leave something for next time." Or is it the WNM, "Lord knows we tried."Read more

  • Geezers in ParadiseSouthern CrawlTraveler

    Back in Marietta

    October 2, 2015 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 59 °F

    Again, our angels were looking out for us. We were 2-1/2 hours out of Marietta when we got the call from my sister Laurie that our beautiful, sweet mom had passed away peacefully in her sleep. All the sisters and family members are gathering, and thanks to both my dad and mom's caring preparation, the logistics of the matter should be smooth. I am grateful to be with family at this time.Read more

  • Geezers in ParadiseSouthern CrawlTraveler

    Off we go!

    October 19, 2015 in the United States ⋅ 🌙 43 °F

    It was with tears in our eyes and smiles on our faces we said goodbye to Laurie and John. As I told my sisters, having all of us together these last couple of weeks taking care of business, reminiscing, laughing, crying, and eating made what could have been a sad, grief-stricken time a joyful reunion. John is telling people if they own stock in Whole Foods to sell as we are leaving town today and we have been their best customers.

    We weren’t sure exactly where we were going to go until this morning. We chose to head to Nashville because a) it’s only 3-1/2 hours away, and b) Gordon is obsessing over finishing our trip and having one BIG WHITE SPOT in the middle of our geezer-mobile map where Tennessee should be. So off we go!    Read more

  • Geezers in ParadiseSouthern CrawlTraveler

    Nashville!

    October 19, 2015 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 66 °F

    So here we are... country music, Elvis, Johnny Cash, Grand Ole Opry, all the music you could want. To make sure we took advantage of this opportunity to hear and see Nashville, we called the Grand Ole Opry to get tickets for tomorrow night. Our hopes were high that we could get good seats and Katy, the very nice lady on the phone, found the best seats available for us.... wait for it... standing room! Oh well, Lord knows we tried.

    We'll just make lemonade out of lemons and visit one of the fine venues tomorrow night for dinner and music.

    We were tired and considered eating in the trailer this evening, but there was a restaurant right next to the KOA, the Cock of the Walk. Heather had seen that they had baked potatoes and that sounded pretty good. So we walked on over and had potatoes and salad. They also brought us pickled onions, corn bread, and a very tasty and zesty slaw, which Heather is certain had collards in it.

    All in all, the KOA is nice and our spot is good, even though it is a bit of a walk to the bathrooms. Gordon was mesmerized by the big earth movers noisily tearing up the swimming pool.    Read more

  • Geezers in ParadiseSouthern CrawlTraveler

    The Hermitage

    October 20, 2015 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 70 °F

    We vote for keeping Andrew Jackson on the $20 bill! Post to come.

    This morning we went to the Heritage, the home of Andrew Jackson. The grounds of the Hermitage were a surprise to wander through. Lots of historical information, old buildings, old trees, and even an english garden. There were also some elementary school children in costumes acting as tour guides, giving information about some specific aspect of the grounds. Most important, there was finally a cotton field I could photograph.

    The information center was very informative, covering Andrew Jackson’s life from his being captured by the British in the Revolutionary War to his presidential elections and beyond.

    The cute kids were all over the grounds, giving sweet informative lectures about some subject that they seemed to find interesting. I was especially interested in the lecture about the garden. When we had a question about a plant in the garden, she said she didn’t know, but perhaps her mom knew. We had already had a nice conversation with the Mom. It turns out that her background is in horticulture and flowers.

    And finally! a cotton field! After all those attempts to get a photo of the cotton fields through Virginia, I thought that I would never be able to get one. But here was a small demonstration field. It was even possible to pick a boll and try to get the seeds out of it.

    Then we ended the tour with lunch. Nothing special, but it was late and we were hungry.    Read more

  • Geezers in ParadiseSouthern CrawlTraveler

    Driving Music City

    October 20, 2015 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 72 °F

    Since we were unable to book a ticket at the Opry, we wanted to get a feel for Music City USA by driving around. Since we were camped practically next door, we started with the Grand Ole Opry. This complex is built to MOVE PEOPLE! Huge hotels, tons of shopping, entertainment and restaurants galore, enormous convention center, and seemingly endless parking!!! And all built around this relatively small theater that seats 4000 people. Oh, and don’t forget the Oscar Wiener mobile.
    After a short rest (ok, nap) back at the geezer-mobile to restore ourselves, we headed into town where there is supposedly music 24 hours a day, and many activities for the music fan. We saw the Ryman Theater which housed the original Opry, and still does from November through February. We have resolved to come back for a performance during those months as the theater only holds 2000 people instead of the current venue’s 4400.
    We then drove down Honky Tonk Highway which was loaded with tourists sampling the competing music that blared out into the street from almost every club. We finished by driving down the music mile, but photos were foiled at every step by the harsh sun.
    Gordon valiantly took on the narrow streets and heavy traffic, once doing a U-turn in right front of a policeman. He said the traffic was fine but the pedestrians were terrifying.
    Satisfied, we headed back to the geezer-mobile to do our posts before heading out for dinner at the Opry Backstage Grill right down the street.    Read more

  • Geezers in ParadiseSouthern CrawlTraveler

    The Opry Backstage Grill

    October 20, 2015 in the United States ⋅ 🌙 59 °F

    Friiiiiid chicken, bbq brisket and sides! Banana pudding with 'nilla wafers ans mwringue to die for. Local beer. Oh, And Sweet Honey singing group On the stage. Our waiter Ethyn can't sing here cause he does Bobby Daren favorites instead of country.Read more

  • Geezers in ParadiseSouthern CrawlTraveler

    KOA some where in Alabama

    October 21, 2015 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 77 °F

    Next to the water and not many people. Lovely!

    We spent some time watching the heron fishing while we enjoyed a crisp glass of chardonnay in solidarity. He did catch his dinner while we watched.

    In the morning we were drinking tea and noticed a trailer out there with its tail lights blazing bright red through the condensation on our window. Too late we realized that was the SUN and we were missing the most magnificent sunrise EVER! We went for a walk and enjoyed the tail end.Read more

  • Geezers in ParadiseSouthern CrawlTraveler

    Sparkville Mississippi KOA

    October 22, 2015 in the United States ⋅ 🌙 64 °F

    We opened the trailer door and quick jumped out of the way in case everything might come tumbling out after riding over the extreme potholes on the way here. Hot, tired and a bit cranky we broke out the wine and started happy hour early. When dinner time rolled around we agreed to go straight to dessert, purchased at lunch in Tupelo: german chocolate cake for Gordon and rice krispy bar for Heather. (Cereal. Healthy, right?)

    Heather got an annoying and unsoliceted message from her fitbit suggesting she might want to take a walk as she was near her daily goal. Resisting the urge to drown the over-achieving piece of junk, we decided to take a walk anyway. All was redeemed by the sunset.    Read more

  • Geezers in ParadiseSouthern CrawlTraveler

    Sunrise

    October 23, 2015 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 59 °F

    Almost missed another one. Our only regret for this campground is they wouldn't open the water sludes just for Gordon. :(

  • Geezers in ParadiseSouthern CrawlTraveler

    New Orleans

    October 23, 2015 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 77 °F

    We made it! But disaster strickes. The ice chest drain opened up in the trunk some time during the day. The trunk is soaking wet, but nothing is ruined.

    We need to decide not only what to do while here, but how long to stay. Rain is on the horizon, but there may be worse in Texas as the hurricane moves north through Mexico. Right now we just need to dry out and rest.

    Fortunately we still have that chicken salad that got overlooked last night in favor of the dessert now approach to stress relief. I did note, however, pints of Ben and Jerry's in the KOA freezer with an implied sign saying: In case of emergency break glass!    Read more

  • Geezers in ParadiseSouthern CrawlTraveler

    Halloween at the KOA

    October 23, 2015 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 75 °F

    We previously shared one KOA's wonderful halloween decorations. Our hostess Beth here in New Orleans is definitely in the spirit. She painted them herself.

  • Geezers in ParadiseSouthern CrawlTraveler

    French Quarter

    October 24, 2015 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 75 °F

    We had planned on taking the FREE shuttle from the KOA to the French Quarter, but both Heather and Gordon had misgivings about the wisdom of this "Free" transportation. We both felt that it might be free, but we were concerned that they might issue hand baskets when we stepped onto the shuttle, and we would never be able to get off, stuck in purgatory until they came to pick us up.

    So we asked the nice lady with the finger nails what the best route into town was and where to park. With that in hand, off we went in our trusty car.

    We very much enjoyed our drive along the levee, passing through the Garden District, Warehouse district and Central Business District along the way.

    Once in the French Quarter, I was so glad that we were there in the morning, before it got crowded, because it was already crowded. Lots and lots of people: tourists, locals, bums, and street musicians, and probably a few ghosts as well.

    We had a better time wandering through French Quarter than we had anticipated. Even though there were more people than we were used to, Heather expanded her energy aura and Gordon was a rock in a river. Much of the district evoked memories of other places: patios, cool and sheltered, reached by alleys or covered walkways were reminiscent of Jakarta; narrow streets with narrow sidewalks seemed to come straight from Rome; the crowds reminded me of New Delhi.    Read more

  • Geezers in ParadiseSouthern CrawlTraveler

    Halloween in the French Quarter

    October 24, 2015 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 79 °F

    With their history of Voodoo and haunted mansions, it seems Halloween is a VERY big deal in New Orleans. We headed in to tour the old French Quarter on the very day of their big Halloween parade. We didn't stick around for the parade, but the spirits were EVERYwhere!!

    Heather especially liked the "Help Wanted" sign in front of the Rev. Zombie's Voodoo shop. We just BET he needed help ... perhaps a constant flow of it! We didn't go it.

    We also wanted to warn the archeological students at their dig that perhaps this was not the safest day to go digging around underground ...    Read more

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