Unwinding and Finding a New Slower Pace

Here is our site at Curry Hammock - the ocean is just beyond the back of our motor home. You can see we have lots of privacy, too, with shrubs on both sides - why we love State Parks over RV parks any day!

After breakfast, we biked into Marathon to get some more fresh food - I made and froze almost all our meals for the month ahead of time, but we are supplementing with fresh fruit and vegies. The bike trip is about 15 miles round trip down a great bike trail the entire way - so the bike riding is very safe.

 Weather is spectacular - that's definitely the advantage of coming all the way down to the Keys. We've heard from others that northern Florida is cold, rainy and cloudy. You can see our weather is glorious - sunny with a nice breeze for an afternoon of windsurfing!

We also had a chance to talk to Mike and wish him a Happy Birthday! Hard to believe 26 years have passed since he was born.

 Here's a scene at the beach right behind our motor home - very beautiful. After admiring the sunset, we grilled some chicken and then headed inside.

This year I'm determined to outwit the "no see ums" (tiny, monsterous bugs that ate me alive last year) and not get bit up by going out unprotected in the dawn or dusk! :-)

In the Keys at Last

Greg picked me up at the Miami airport - other than lots of traffic getting out of Miami, the trip was flawless. We got back to Curry Hammock State Park (near Marathon, FL) at about 8:30 p.m. and enjoyed dinner in our "home away from home."

I didn't last much longer as I arrived very tired from an extremely busy week.

Betsy Left Town in the Nick of Time!

While Greg was enjoying record temperatures in the Florida Keys, Betsy was still back in Minnesota with a busy week and weekend working the Annual Home Remodeling Fair. All weekend long, there was talk about a big snowstorm hitting Minnesota - the first for the season. As the weekend went on, it appeared the snowstorm was tracking to arrive on Tuesday! YEAH! I flew out of Minneapolis without incident on Monday knowing that I was getting out of snow country in the nick of time.


(Snowmen courtesy of the neighbor boys!)

Curry Hammock State Park

On Wednesday, Greg drove from Sebastian Inlet State Park to Curry Hammock State Park in the Keys where he (we) will be staying for two weeks. He actually is staying in the same campsite as last year.

He arrived at the campground late in the afternoon and got all set up.

Another beautiful sunset!!

Fun Exercising in Florida

Greg and I have both been taking kettlebells - Greg has been taking for more than two years and I started this past September. We have a fabulous teacher and class . . . . and it has been a really fun thing for us to do together.

Anyway, Greg brought his two kettlebells and spent some time working out in the morning. He said he definitely got some comments from his neighbors and the park ranger.

Later, he spent the morning working on his bike including putting the new handlebar tape on it that the boys had given him for Christmas.

Because he still has that wonderful "Minnesota winter skin," he spent time reading in the shade in the early afternoon - out of the intense sun.

At the end of the day, he had a chance to go on a longer bike ride that included seeing a beautiful sunset!

Settling In

After a long drive from Minnesota, Greg spent his first full day at Sebastian Inlet State Park getting settled in. The weather was nice - partly sunny and in the 70's, but windy!

One of Greg's projects this winter was to make several modifications in the motor home. Here you can see how he mounted our computer screen from our office at home in the motor home to serve as a TV screen. Certainly, when we camp, TV watching is not a primary activity, but it is nice for him to be able to watch the news occasionally. And I really liked that we are essentially using our computer screen in a new way versus purchasing a TV!

After a very mild winter with virtually no snow, we got snow last night in Minnesota! Contrast that with this beautiful beach scene!

The Long Drive Went Fine

Greg drove to Effingham, Il the first night and then got to Georgia the second night. This year, he stopped both nights at a truck stop that had a designated area for RVs that planned to stay overnight.

In the morning, he could get some coffee and breakfast and be on his way. Betsy spent the last few weeks cooking a lot of meals for the month's trip - so we will be eating well!

Luckily, Greg was able to sneak past a snow storm that dumped some snow in the south - he just had to drive through some rain and wind on the final leg to Sebastian Inlet State Park, the first place he is camping.

He arrived safely at the campground on Sunday afternoon ready to shower, get set-up for a few days, and begin to enjoy Florida!

Greg is Underway!

After months of preparation, Greg is ready to leave Minnesota for the 3rd annual trip to Florida. This year, he is driving by himself to Florida and Betsy will join him on February 27.

It looks like the weather for travel will be great - the mild winter continues! You can see that we have no snow on the ground which is almost unheard of for Minnesota in February.

As you can see, a big part of this camping trip is bringing bikes (two bikes for Greg and one for Betsy), a wind surfer, a kayak - all ways to enjoy being outside! Greg created extensive packing lists after last year's trip that really helped us organize for this year.