An Arm’s Length of Business

We awoke Thursday with another slow leak in the new rear duelly. There was also a power outage during the night and our new Victron inverter was giving us a problem as a result. Back to business in LA, we found a tire shop outside of Shreveport for a valve repair and Bill was able to troubleshoot the inverter. A reboot meant reaching an arms length deep inside the Sprinter's rear compartment to shut it down. Bill's arm didn't work, but my long arm did.

Onward to Dallas, our mission was to secure indoor storage space for our van when not in use. RSW airport in FL has direct flights to Dallas, so it seemed to be a good fit for us; simplifying our road trips out of SWFL. National Indoor RV Center is an interesting concept that offers sales, repair, storage and concierge services. After investigating the Lewisville location, we may be ready to leave our camper in TX at the end of this adventure.

The day got away from us and we just wanted to settle in camp and relax without driving too much. While we tend to enjoy the natural environment of State and National Parks, we opted for a highly rated and relatively expensive nearby private campground: The Vineyards Campground of Grapevine TX. It's super nice, clean, on Lake Grapevine and has plenty of urban glamping amenities.

By the end of the day, the solar-powered batteries were fully charged.

September in the Deep South

Getting there is half the fun, as they say. We enjoyed the sugarcane and cotton field backroads through Louisiana after leaving the New Orleans area. It's always nice to get off the interstate and enjoy more scenic and interesting landscape. It was an easy day of driving northwest towards Dallas. We stayed at our third LA campground, Lake Bistineau SP in Doyline. It was kinda scary empty. Not many campers in the deep South in September. Perhaps they don't enjoy little frogs in the shower with them or Jurassic Park size flies and mosquitoes. It's all part of the journey as I perfect my Zen-like approach to nature. We never did actually see the lake, but it was a peaceful respite nonetheless.

NOLA Farewell

Our last dining adventure took place on Tuesday for brunch at the iconic Brennan's on Royal St. We enjoyed a decadent meal and moseyed back to the hotel, window shopping through the French Quarter. With two Urbers on the way, we said our goodbyes. Will is off to the airport and we are heading back to camp at Westwego. What a great family getaway!

Upon our return, everything was just fine at the abandoned campsite. No surprises! We were able to do some laundry at Bayou Segnette SP and have a relaxing dinner on the fire.

The 26th Birthday Celebration

What a great city to celebrate any occasion! Lounging around the hotel room on Labor Day, we sipped our morning coffee and tea while discussing Will's birthday agenda. The celebrations included a cooking class at Crescent City Cooks, a walk through the NOLA aquarium, a respite with gifts back at the room and a fabulous dinner at GW Fins in the French Quarter.

It's been a grueling, but fun, few days of celebrating Will, so after dinner we went back to the room and watched a couple of episodes of "Succession" on HBO GO. I did warn Will before he committed to joining us in NOLA, that his birthday wasn't going to be a "drunk fest." It would be a cultural adventure exploring the city with his parents. He agreed, and we had a wonderful few days together. Although, I'm sure Will will be having a late night or two doing shots with friends this week.

Sunday in NOLA

There's nothing more pleasant than a lazy Sunday morning. We lingered over coffee and showers before heading out to Kingfish Restaurant on Chartres Street for brunch. Our day's plan involved taking the cable car to the City Park, strolling the NOMA sculpture garden, introduce Will to Cafe du Monde at the park location and then return to the French Quarter for the Southern Decadence parade. The pride parade was hilarious! We retreated back to the hotel for an air conditioned rest and dress for dinner at NOLA Restaurant on St. Louis Street. After all the amazing meals we've had, Emeril Lagasse's NOLA was meh. We had a couple of night caps in the Quarter and enjoyed a quintessential NOLA entertaIner singing some jazzy blues before we called it an amazing day. 

Saturday in NOLA

Refreshed and ready for a big Saturday in NOLA, we took Will to the Ruby Slipper Cafe on Magazine Street for traditional southern brunch fare. It was so good. Will tried the shrimp and grits, I had the fluffiest migas and Bill went with eggs cochon. All amazingly satisfying. We then spent hours at the National WWII museum in profound contemplation through a fascinating, state-of-the-art journey of the world at war. It was exhausting mentally and physically. It was good to get back outside for a dose of sunshine. We walked another mile or so on our tired feet to TackleBox Restaurant in the Renaissance Pere Marquette Hotel on Common Street for small plates and drinks.

Feeling refreshed, we took on Bourbon Street in the late afternoon. What a crazy scene even at that time! We shared a couple of "big ass beers" as we strolled along watching the amazing array of revelers. Making the French Quarter even more festive this weekend is the annual Southern Decadence festival, aka, Gay Mardi Gras.

Back at the hotel, we changed into Saturday night attire and Ubered to Frenchmen Street for live music and, yes, more food, at the Maison. It was a big day in typical NOLA style.

The Start of Labor Day Weekend

An Uber picked us up early Friday afternoon at our campsite and dropped us off at the JW Marriott on Canal Street in beautiful New Orleans. Our first meal in NOLA was at Daisy Dukes on Carondelet St. for a Cajun lunch. Then, of course, Cafe du Monde was on order for dessert beignets. We walked off the calories around Jackson Square and the French Quarter. Great people watching! After a nap and a swim in the rooftop pool, young Will arrived weary from a long day of air travel delays. We had a welcome drink in the hotel bar and walked to Luke Restaurant on St. Charles Avenue for delicious oysters and Brussels sprout midnight snack (or so it seemed).

Takin’ Care of Business

Reminiscent of last year's journey through the Panhandle, a slow leak in a back dually had us scrambling for a repair shop. We killed a few hours in pursuit of a couple new tires. After that, it was smooth cruising, with a pitstop Buc-ee's in AL, and the first outside of TX. We arrived at Bayou Signette State Park outside of NOLA at 6pm. Another beautiful park and super close to the Big Easy!

Out of Dodge Once Again

As we provisioned the camper van for another adventure out west under spectacular summer skies, we were inundated with hype about Dorian. The tropical storm-turning hurricane is in the Caribbean and heading towards the coast of Florida. We're happy to be moving out of Dodge. We had lots of work completed on the van after our last big trip in October 2018, so it should be ready for another 5000 miles or so. Boats and RVs… pretty high maintenance they say.

We rolled into the Suwannee River State Park just after 4pm. We all know the song but how many have really spent time on the river? After a quick little hike around the banks, we settled into camp with showers and frozen pizza. Nice campground and super clean restrooms; always a bonus.

Shattered by iWeb's Demise

Apple created an amazing application many years ago with the introduction of the iLife suite. It was called iWeb and it made building a personal website fun and reasonably easy. With MobileMe, one could self-publish their website online. Business decision after business decision, Apple resolved to do away with MobileMe among other apps, including iWeb. They claimed the program would be phased out on newer versions of their operating systems. Over the years, the app was still available with third party domain hosting, but unsupported by Apple's tech services. Apple continued to send plenty of warnings of iWeb's eventual and permanent demise. And so it happened this week with the Mojave 10.14.6 update. iWeb is unresponsive. I've invested almost 12 years into my personal website and now, it's gone. Perhaps I'll strengthen my coding skills and come back with a vengeance. But for now, my very resourceful website is lost in the cloud. RIP iWeb. Oh well, grateful to have The Blogagerie as a creative outlet and invaluable resource in the absence of my iWeb site.

Poutine is a Delicious Mess of a Good Thing

A couple of years ago, while vacationing in Switzerland and active on Facebook, I posted that my desired last meal on earth would have to be the Canadian fave: Poutine. Today, my husband sent me this informative article from USA Today. Having recently returned from Montréal, poutine is fresh on our minds and ON our bellies. The article traces the history of poutine back to Quebec in 1963. For those not familiar with the sensation, poutine is three ingredients: French fries, cheese curds and gravy. Right?

Poutine translates into "mess"

Creative Ventures Indoors

I remember too many frigid days growing up in Chicago winters. A good snowfall generated some outdoor play, but most of the time the cold, grey days were spent indoors. Summers in SWFL are the opposite. The days hinge on oppressive humidity, temps in the 90's and state of emergency downpours. It's best to stay indoors after 10am. 

That said, I'm loving my new iPad Pro with the Pencil and Procreate app; providing hours of creative amusement during these early summer days. Will's birthday gift is also coming in handy: a Sofia + Sam lap desk. The desk will be perfect for the camper, too! Here's my new logo I just sketched in Procreate:

 

Asheville NC to Marco

We left Montreal on Thursday, June 27th. Having underestimated the hassle of living out of a suitcase for nearly a month, we decided to take our time heading back home. Asheville seemed like a good place to break up our ride. There, we stayed at an over-priced Aloft hotel so as to be right downtown. Location, location, location. We enjoyed two great dinners on Biltmore Avenue, one at Chestnut and the other at Posana. Tupelo Honey for breakfast was really good. It was challenging riding our bikes to the River Arts District, but we found a short cut home. My aching body!

Asheville to Marco was on the agenda Sunday but not before a meandering and scenic drive along the Blue Ridge Parkway. Auto-pilot and the need for speed brought us home at 10:45pm! We were on the road for one month.

Montreal

Bill met me in Montreal on Monday, June 24th. He's always happy after I return rejuvenated from a six chix fix. We settled in our first Airbnb, which was very nice. We toured the lovely city by foot and took in some good food, too, especially poutine at Saint-Houblon Brew Pub in the Latin Quarter. My body was aching after a climb up Mont Royal so we Ubered to Chuck Hughes Garde Manger restaurant near the old dock. We were disappointed in the overall dining experience at Garde Manger, but did enjoy the dinner despite the very slow service.

Prince Edward Island

Jill welcomed us into her Chelton home on PEI for a girls weekend. It's a beautiful Island with plenty to do. Here's are some noteworthy spots:

Terre Rouge Restaurant - Charlottetown
The Inn at Bay Fortune FireWorks Feast - Souris
PEI National Park - Greenwich
Chelton Beach Provincial Park
PEI Preserve Company - New Glasgow
Celtic Performing Arts Centre at the College of Piping -Summerside
Lobster Barn - Victoria
Island Chocolates - Victoria
The Dunes Studio Gallery & Cafe - Brackley Beach

Too Busy Traveling for Travel Blog

It got pretty crazy down at the NJ shore once family started streaming in at the beach house. Despite all the June celebrations, Bill stole the show on Father's Day. We had a really nice time in Beach Haven with friends, family, bikes, hikes, pickle ball, cards and dice. Some of the noteworthy restaurants are listed below.

Noteworthy restaurants:
Stefano' Seafood and Pasta - fine dining
Blue Water Cafe - casual and byo cocktails, long wait
The Chicken or the Egg - bargain, iconic, 24 hours
Pearl Street Market - close to rental, to go items, and lobster bakes for a crowd
The Gables - fine dining
Barry's Do Me a Flavor - Philly Cheesesteaks
Dockside Diner - casual
The Bagel Shack - casual
And of course Ship Bottom Brewery

Beach Living

Another fun day at the beach. It's a lot different living three houses from the beach rather than three miles. Walk, bike ride, played pickle ball for the first time, cocktails on the beach, beer can chicken, Big Little Lies Season 2. Exhausting!

LBI Marine Mist

The sunshine left with the weekend visitors. LBI cleared out Monday and was a noticeably different and calmer scene. It was a grey day with intermittent showers and misty skies. We were still able to grab hold of sea shore sights, exercise and fun with a pickle ball lesson, a pleasant walk and a long bike ride. Pat and Glenn had us for dinner and a continuation of our Spades game from the cruise. It's a simple life.

Water on Both Sides of the Road

Sunday morning was pretty quiet on LBI Blvd. I enjoyed peaceful contemplation during my three mile walk; taking in Holgate and the beach front. This narrow 18 mile strip of land is surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean on the east and the Manahawkin Bay on the west.

Bill stayed close to the house while I ran around the island shopping for the June and July special occasions in the family.

Our landlords, Pat and Glenn, retuned to the shore after a long weekend in PA. We invited them down to our place for a shrimp scampi dinner. We talked and talked and talked for hours. Good to see them again. After all, it's been almost three weeks since the cruise.

Saturday at the Beach

Although we lived in Jersey for 23 years, our getaway weekends consisted of a quick flight or long, harrowing drive on I-95 to Martha's Vineyard. We loved our Vineyard Haven summer home of nearly 20 years. Many of our NJ neighbors, however, would escape to their stateside summer homes; leaving work and city vibes for the carefree scene at the NJ shore.

Saturday morning we finally witnessed these weekend warriors enjoying a small dose of relaxation. Runners, bikers and beach-goers took to the roads on LBI. Cars had to navigate carefully. Bikes rule. Bill and I enjoyed exploring on our bikes. We did twenty miles from Holgate to Ship Bottom before taking to our books and enjoying the pleasant temps in the afternoon. Meanwhile, it's hot as hell in SWFL.

Book note: I breezed through the memoir by Tara Westover, Educated. It was good; thought provoking and somewhat disturbing. Read it.

Summit to Shore

The ride to LBI was smooth sailing on the NJ Turnpike Friday morning after rush hour. Patty and Owen sent us off with another hearty breakfast and some big hugs.

It was good to unload the packed car and spread out in our cozy rental by the beach! Pearl Street Market was a great suggestion for lunch. After provisioning up and a home-cooked dinner for two, we ventured over the dune to view the waterfront. It's going to be a pleasant couple of weeks in Beach Haven.

Thursday in Summit

Patty prepared a lovely breakfast and we covered a lot of ground during a lazy morning of conversation. Owen, Patty's baby, now 22 years old, just returned from a celebratory college graduation trip in Thailand. We enjoyed his adventure stories and marveled at his ambition.

Patty and I hit a few consignment shops and grabbed lunch at Marigolds before my blow-out appointment in town.

Bill and I were honored to attend Jorge's Deloitte retirement party at Baltisrol Golf Club. Jorge and Patti are longtime friends and travel buddies, soon to be spending a lot more time at their home in Naples! I have no pictures of the nice event, just memories.

Charlottesville to Summit NJ

Wheels were rolling Wednesday morning after a lazy night in Charlottesville. We avoided the mayhem of DC on I-81 and pulled into Summit at 3:30pm. North central Jersey never really filled me with the warm and fuzzies until I moved to Florida. Now, I have only fondness and feelies for my former home of 23 years. I grew up in Chicago, but it was in NJ that I really grew up through marriage and motherhood.

Patty welcomed us into her beautiful home and we chatted over refreshments in her lush and lovely yard. Sarah stopped by for a hug, too. Old friends become the best friends.

Our table for 14 at Benihana's in Short Hills was a tad crowded but very joyous as we were reunited with the kids for a loud and entertaining dinner. We missed a few kids, but they were with us in spirit.

Jefferson’s Monticello

Thomas Jefferson wanted to be remembered for his contributions to the USA, not his titles, jobs or what the country gave to him. His gravestone at Monticello makes no mention of President, Vice President, Secretary of State or US Ambassador to France. The same man who wrote the iconic words, "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness," owned more than 600 slaves and never acknowledged his six children from enslaved mistress Sally Hemings. Ugh. Greatness is in doing.

We had a thought provoking day in Charlottesville.

Charlottesville VA

An uneventful day on the road, over the byways instead of the highways, had us rolling into the hilly landscape of Charlottesville in the mid afternoon on Monday. The Country Inn and Suites by Radisson was highly rated on the forums but disappointingly farther from town than the advertising indicated. Oh well. It’s clean and reasonably new. We showered and consulted the internet for dinner venues. Sushi was on the agenda. The restaurant TEN offered fresh fish in a funky, romantic setting. After dinner we strolled the pedestrian mall and enjoyed people watching and window shopping in a vibrant college town. UVA is always looming in the background.

Beautiful Beaufort

After a delicious breakfast consisting of Bill’s homemade Greek whipped yogurt with granola, nuts and honey, we hit the Spanish Moss Trail. It was good to stretch our legs and explore Lowcountry on the well-maintained, partly-shaded, 10-mile scenic bike path. We ventured on and off the trail for hours, stopping at a dockside lunch place, Fish Camp, in Port Royal. Bill had to refuel with the chicken and waffles and I opted for a strawberry salad sprinkled with jalapeño bacon. Gotta love the south. Back on the bike to burn off the calories, just after mile 26, I found myself peddling on a flat rear tire. Ugh. Suddenly on a business trip, we were back in leisure mode, with a fixed bike, in no time.

Lowcountry SC is hotter than SWFL now. It reached 97° in the afternoon. It was good to cool off back in the hotel and plan our next meal. 😂 Bill found a most amazing restaurant on OpenTable: Saltus River Grille. A great spot in Historic downtown Beaufort. We shared wood fired oysters, mussels, truffle French fries and then, the star of the dinner, shrimp and grits, of course. I’ve been working on my own recipe for this iconic dish but realized Sunday night, I have a long way to go.

It was a spectacular 48 hours in Beautiful Beaufort all around! Even getting the tire fixed was just another adventure. Another story, too.

The Paris Seamstress to Beaufort SC

With a couple of weeks to catch up with family in friends in Florida, clean the house and do laundry, we hit the road in our SUV for another adventurous road trip. Bill installed the Thule rails at the last minute, but as it turned out, we didn't really need the rooftop storage. We rolled out of town around 9a. Immersed in my current novel, The Paris Seamstress, miles flew by while enjoying breaks in shotgun. It’s always a tedious drive out of the state. East, west and in between, there’s no easy way out of Florida.

Beaufort, SC has been a destination on our radar. However, it’s just slightly out of the way when we’re in serious Interstate driving mode. With this trip up north, we decided to make Beaufort part of the fun. We pulled into our Holiday Inn on Boundary St. just in time for a quick shower before dinner. According to Yelp, TripAdvisor and Google, the top place in town is Old Bull Tavern. Luckily, we were able to get a 6:30p reservation on a Saturday night in June. Dinner was very good. Afterwards, we strolled along the waterfront, plopped on a swing and took in the beautiful sunset at Henry C. Chambers Waterfront Park. The present heat wave in Low Country made for a perfectly comfortable evening outdoors.