Anna Maria Island

 We headed to the beach today. Anna Maria beach is a large beach with sand that is powdery and blindingly white against the clear aquamarine water. We did not see many birds when we arrived but it was not long before many shorebirds arrived! Unlike Sanibel there is a huge life guard tower with some cute lifeguards!

 Our plan was to watch people walking the beach gaze at the beautiful blue water BUT that changed. We sat with our backs to the water and watched numerous sand volleyball games! The college kids were there having a blast playing sand volleyball and entertaining the non players! 

After the volleyball viewing we took a drive to explore the quaint Holmes Beach area at the end of the island. After driving around this area we got into the traffic to get off the island. One bridge leads off the island and it was busy!

What!

I did not get any pictures because it happened so fast!

An Eagle was in the tree and then he was after another bird. The bird landed on a light and the eagle chased him away. Apparently the bird left a fish which the eagle then picked up and began to fly taking the fish away with him.  As the Eagle flew over us, we were on the green, a group of birds attacked him and PLOP the fish fell right in front of us, between Duf and the hole! We moved so the birds could get the fish off the green and we could putt! 

Exploring Venice, FL

     It was a cloudy day so we decided to drive an hour to Venice, FL and explore their beaches. Most of the trip was in the car, but we did get out and walk to the amazing beaches a few times. We liked the fact that, if times were normal, we could walk around old town Venice and then walk or ride bicycles to the beach. 

This town has parking all along the beach and it is FREE. Just outside of town we drove down a narrow road that was lined with homes that make the homes on Captiva and Sanibel look small! The new homes being built were up, garages under the home, and the homes were all glass. It seemed the elevation was a safety feature but the glass was questionable! That fact was really brought home after we arrived home and just North of us had tornados. 

We drove to the dead end of Venice where the beach was eroding and the parking lot was in the sand dunes. On the way we saw a lush golf course bordering the busy airport. Driving around the airport we saw all sizes of jets and personal planes. One plane had the propeller on the rear!

Near the end was an outdoor restaurant, Sharky's, and we stopped for an amazing lunch. There were not many people there and the hostess explained there were two parts to the restaurant. The areas were basically the expensive side and the cheaper side, with the main difference being the view and the fact everything was not fried. Having been homebound for months made the view quite important! We were outside and there was a nice breeze so masks could come off! The food was delicious and so was the view!

The drink I ordered was amazing!

I had Grouper! It was expensive but there was so much to eat! Duf had a burger that was equally amazing topped with some of their special bacon that lived up to the delicious hype. The grouper looks fried but it was what they called grilled with a light coating.

 I was kind and helped an older lady in a wheelchair and her son-in-law came when we received the bill and wanted to pay for our meal! Nice gesture but we refused, kindness doesn't always need a reward.

After lunch I visited the restroom and it was very clean, but I was most impressed by the sink!

Following lunch we drove to the pier and on the way found Duf's paradise. There were amazing condos on  canals off the intercoastal that had parking for the boats. He fell in love and wants to ditch the RV, buy a condo and boat! Something we will discuss but I did love the idea and Venice is a cute place. This picture is not a good one but we did not often leave the safe air of the car!

We got about 5 miles from home before the rain started. It was also quite windy and we were glad we had put everything away before we left on our adventure. North of us they had tornado activity!

  Clearwater and St Pete area felt happy as we drove down the beach. For this time of year there were not many people around the beach area. We drove down the entire beach area and stopped a few times to walk out on the beautiful beach. Duf hated that there was a $3.50 per hour charge to park anywhere around the area and two toll bridges to get there.

In one area we came around the curve to find a huge party of young people dressed in holiday garb, drinking, and sharing food at an outdoor restaurant. They were on the restaurant property, across the street, and out onto the beach. We had to stop because an Uber driver was in the middle of the road trying to load 5 females into a small car. He had no idea how to make the back a seat and they all had their heads in working to figure it out. There were no masks in sight, but we saw Biden flags on their tables. Crazy!  Our only comment to each other was, “I wonder if this is legal?” We are from IL you know!

As we approached the area around the DonCesar Pink Hotel it seemed that something was happening, but we could not decide what it was. Again parking was $3.50 per hour so we only spent an hour walking around. We saw luminary bags lining the beach and people were all around.  We left and drove across the high bridge and looking down there were what I said was, over a thousand yachts and some smaller boats. Duf thought I was exaggerating but I was not and when he was able to look he was shocked. We thought maybe a fancy ship was coming into port. 

Just over the bridge was a sign that said 7 miles to the highway. At that point, on the other side of the road, we started seeing a parade of cars. The parade lasted over 7 miles with all the cars decorated with Trump signs and flags. 

When we got home I looked on the net to see what was happening. I was taken to YouTube where I learned that there were over 2,000 boats and it was a happening. They were all decorated for Trump and they set a Guinness-Book-Of-World-Records for the largest boat parade. Look it up!

 Who knew Golfing was an extreme sport! 

There are so many dangers on Florida golf courses. Yesterday we golfed at River Wilderness Country Club, home course of and designed by Paul Azinger. Wilderness was a good moniker for this course because we saw Sandhill Cranes, Ducks, Snakes, and Alligators galore. If a ball was anywhere near water it was considered lost after seeing huge gators on most of the banks!

 I have found something fun to do!  I have joined the Sisterhood of the Maker Bees!! I'm definitely not the star of the class, but  I find it is fun and relaxing. The class is online and it is called Mixed Media. There are so many projects to choose from and I have just completed a few.

Gave this snowman to Boone and he saw Grandpa in the corner! Grandpa was a young basketball official!

The bicycle picture is dedicated to Sanibel, FL!

 The Tides

    We have found a new place for the winter and are giving it a try this year! It is beautiful and has so much to do, although we have not done much because of the pandemic. Here are some pictures and they speak for themselves.

There are two large pools!

There are numerous workout areas and classes.

A huge club house has many rooms for parties, pool, cards, and whatever you can think up. Next week is a Christmas cookie baking party and a Ginger Bread house making evert!

There are also kayaks to use whenever we want. Everything is included in the monthly fee so it is actually a savings not having to rent and join clubs! I feel a bit sorry for the activities director because people are reluctant to join in most activities. She is now planning outdoor evening music and events that might go over better???? Crazy times!

 To FL today!

We are leaving Brunswick, GA for Palmetto, FL today. It should be about a 5 hour drive. 

We decided to take 301S across the state and were pleasantly surprised. The road is in great shape and around Baldwin, FL the road is all new with town bypasses and two new Pilot stations. At 30l and 10 there is a Pilot that looks like it just opened. We have noticed since entering FL that gas is around .10 more expensive per gallon and diesel fuel is at least .40 per gallon more. 

Around Ocala we had to get back on 75, we hate the traffic and high speed on this highway. It is entertaining though!

We were passed by a transport truck pulling a new Grand Design toyhauler. He was going at least 85 mph! A few miles down the road we begin to encounter large pieces of insulation blowing on the highway like snow. As we continue we see it coming from the Grand Design that has now slowed to about 70 mph. He passed an exit and headed into the rest stop. As we passed we could see that the bottom of the fifth wheel, just behind where the stairs would be, had fallen down and was almost dragging on the ground. The items we saw along the highway were coming from the bottom and inside of this brand new Grand Design. How fitting that name is!

We continued down 75 and things were moving with only a few crazy speeders. Around a curve and up one of the few FL hills we see semi trucks locking their brakes, smoke flying everywhere, luckily  we are far enough behind we are able to easily stop. Stop we did for over 2 hours! Amazingly RV friends of ours were ahead of us and contacted us. A semi full of boulders had overturned and they had been stopped for half an hour but now they were moving. After over two hours we got to the accident area, around exit 294,  and they were still clearing the road. The boulders had damaged the road with large holes where they hit!

While we were waiting in traffic we had a bathroom, ate lunch, and were able to move about the RV. Next to us was a van and we cracked the window so we could hear them, our entertainment. The wife was going after the husband in a hateful, cursing rant about the fact they had not eaten and they were going to run out of gas. They fought for at least half  an hour and Duf had to bite his tongue because he wanted to yell out to the husband to turn the car off since we were not moving! He was not thinking cause he was wasting that precious gas! We don’t know what happened cause our lane moved and we were ahead of semi’s that blocked cars from illegally using the shoulders and they were behind the semi’s.

A car decided to turn around and go back North. He decides it is a good idea to go through an opening in the guard rail. Problem is that he pulled out in front of a semi, maybe thinking he had a fast car, that was going at least 75 mph and the semi had to lock his brakes almost jack knifing. Of course the car did not even notice what he did. I bet if that semi driver catches him he will get an ear full!

Another fellow passed the semi’s that were blocking traffic by going down into the ditch. There was a woman semi driver a bit ahead of us and she went way over to make this car go further down into the ditch where he almost got stuck. He pulled in front of her and gave her the finger for quite some time and then went back to the shoulder to get ahead. After a time we began to move and there that car was off on the shoulder walking his dog. It had rained and there were puddles and the semi driver gunned it and splashed the guy as he was getting in his car, probable got the seats wet too! HA

We stopped in Dade City for fuel and oh what a mess it turned out to be. The lane Duf chose had a bobtail and he figured it would be the fastest, wrong. The guy fueled and then went inside for an extended time. No lanes were moving and there were lines. Ironically all lanes fueling were not truckers, except the guy in front of us. Next to us was a large pickup pulling a large horse trailer and he could not move because there was a semi in front of him with his hood up and he could not move. Next to him was an RV transport and so on down the line, no truckers. Trucks were lined up behind every station but semi trucks were also blocking every lane. Duf was livid the guy in the bobtail was not back yet. The driver behind us got out and stormed up like he was going to yell at us, but then saw the bobtail and the other problems and went back to talk to other drivers. A pickup pulled up next to us between rows and a large lady got out and walked so slow around the bobtail we thought she would not make it. Then she sauntered into the station. Finally the driver appeared carrying two gallons of window washer fluid and talking on the phone. He sat on his step and talked on the phone. Duf kept saying, Do Your Job! Get A Move On. Of course he said it under his breath! Finally, still on the phone, the driver loads the fluid. Right on cue here comes the slow walking lady and she shuffles over to the pickup and calls him over. He walks over to the pickup, still on the phone, and she gives him some cans of oil. He takes the oil, still on the phone, and finally puts it in the engine. He is still on the phone and waves to us, we smile and wave. He pulls ahead and then leaves and we get fuel. We are now the only lane that has moved because semi’s are blocking the other lanes! It was like every semi that pulled in had a problem and could no longer move! A few semi’s moved so the horse trailer guy and others could back out. We were happy we did not have to unhook and back out. One driver said he had never seen so many problems in one place, but we should all be glad we are moving slow, but moving!

We had planned to be at Winter Quarters Manatee RV Resort by noon, but it was 4 when we arrived. We usually stay here on the way down and the way back cause we have friends in the area. I had called the night before and the ladies said we did not need a reservation and they would hold a drive through for us. We arrived relieved to be there BUT. ..I went in to get our site and they said that they filled all the pull throughs with longer term RV customers and had nothing for our length. Now I am not happy and I know when I go out and tell Duf he will throw a huge fit. I try to reason with these ladies but they both just turn their backs and start talking to each other like I am not there. I was about to leave my usually composed self and become not so friendly when, as fate would have it,  my phone rings. I looked and it was The Tides, the place we would be for the winter. They were checking to be sure we were coming and wondered if we knew about when we would arrive. I told him where we were and what had happened and he cut me off by saying, “We are family now! Come here and we will park you tonight!” It sure was easier to walk out of the office, with the ladies asking me if I thought I was just going to stay in their parking lot and it was not allowed, I did not answer or turn around. I told Duf they did not have room for us and he began to explode but then I calmed him by saying The Tides was waiting for us! Ended great cause we are set up and do not have to drive today and it is really windy today!

We are here at The Tides and it is brand new and beautiful. The guy that parked us, Ray, said the sites are like runways they are so huge and easy to park. We are the first RV on this site! Their literature says they do not take RV’s over 10 years old, but they also have a small print that says that Management is able to override this rule. We see fifth wheels, trailers, Class A, and just about any type of camping vehicle. There are many open spots, but it is December 1 and their first year, so we shall see!

 We found WALDO!

Traveling through FL and we found Waldo! We know where he lives, works, plays and where he stores his books!