Every trip has troubles. Putting the steps away, they went too far into the RV. The one thing I tried to avoid I did, and delayed our departure another fifteen minutes. Patient husband I had, handled. it with grace and by 7:27 Ron had the map loaded, the truck in gear and the wheels rolling.
“Finally,” he said, “After much cancelling, and moving, and changing, and shifting, we’re finally on the road.”
From ice, to snow, to sunshine… the temperature kept going up with each mile that passed.
Failing my duties as navigator, we took the scenic, oceanside route to site 84 in Pirateland, arriving around 2:30. After a quick set up, we pointed the truck southward to Pawleys Island for Ron’s annual equipment check.
After a quick trip. to Pawley’s we went to Nick’s CreekSide Restaurant for an early dinner.
Stopping at Walmart to pick a potable hose for the trailer, we got back in time to feed the pups and take Ruby for her first walk on the beach, at sunset, nonetheless.
Sunrise at 7:14 a. m. made it easier to film. Setting up my tripod on the sandy knoll at 6:45 a. m., I let it rolld for an hour, recording God’s masterful work of art.
Ron worked on Wednesday while I enjoyed a day at the beach: yoga, writing, and walking. At 11:30, Ron picked me up for lunch at Joe’s Hamburgers and another trip to Pawley’s for a forgotten task. Afterwards, we spent a relaxing afternoon together in the camper, watching golf, and cuddling with the pups
Friday morning, at 7:53 Ron asked the guard at rhe gate “Do you want this?” handing him the parking pass. One last walk on the beach tired the pups out for the ride as we headed to Hilton Head, our next destination.
GPS showed our arrival at Hilton Head National RV Resort at 12:02 p. m., but we missed the turn onto 278, adding 6 minutes to our arrival time. With the sun shining brightly and the thermometer at a warm 57 degrees, the now-predicted snowfall for this weekend on the island seemed unimaginable. Thankfully, we planned to depart well before the first snowflake fell.
Let’s blow this popsicle joint, ” I said at 8:08 a.m. after securing the dogs and climbing into the truck beside Ron.
We had a lovely afternoon and evening in HHI. Ron completed his store checklist, then we toured the island, looking for changes since our last visit.
Palmetto Dunes, where we spent our honeymoon week doing doubles clinics, now has pickleball courts where we took our classes. New buildings have popped up here and there, but otherwise, no major changes.
Stopping at Barnes and Noble, I picked up a new Bible, inspired by Charlie Kirk to use it instead of my phone for my studying. This morning, I made my first notes in the pink-flowered book, and I have to say, I loved it!
Light traffic in sunshine made for an easy trip to Cista, FL where we passed farms on our way to the campground, our pitstop for the night. Excited about the warmer temperature, the wind caused a chill that chased us indoors for afternoon naps while watching golf.
We awoke to the coldest morning yet on our trip. 21 degrees, the water in our hose froze, thamkfully, I had the Brita pitcher filled, so we could have coffee and tea. By 8:10, we had started the drive to our vacation destination.
Arriving just before 1:00, it took a minute to park the trailer. The neighbor’s picnic table backed up to our spot, and didn’t allow enough room for the slideout. But we worked it out. Our Eastern European neighbor, who spoke broken English, came out with his well-fed, elderly bulldog and moved the table.
My text to Lori sums up our first hours in Naples:
Made it to Florida. Parked in a super-tight spot, but it will do. Has plenty of grass for the dogs. End of dry January:-)!
Lunch at Zeppe’s, Lasagna Dip, Burger Bowl and Cobb Salad for lunch. Broke my sugar fast with a delicious peace of Coconut Cream pie.
Monday brought another chilly day to Florida, with highs in the low 50s. We spent a quiet morning on the Atlas. I worked on my novel, Under His Wings, while Ron searched for RV spots for sale in the area. When we venturedout for lunch, we discovered Iguana Mia, a delightful Mexican restaurant with fresh ingredients. Afterwards, we tried to look at RV spots for sale, unfortunately, we couldn’t visit without a realtor. But we learned they didn’t allow dogs, and that ended it. On the way back to the camper, we toured Ft Myers Beach on the way home.
During our little jaunts around the area, we discovered the Charlie Kirk Memorial Highway. Praise God for Charlie’s work; may it save this nation as he so desperately wanted.
Tuesday had 70-degree weather; unfortunately, I had an allergy headache. We went for breakfast at the Trail Cafe and Grill. After breakfast, I took a couple of Tylenol and a long nap, waking refreshed and feeling better. We spent the afternoon sitting in the sun with the pups.
“Beth, you want me to let you in on a little secret?” James said, one eye closed, squinting into the sun.
“Heck yeah,” I said enthusiastically. Only later did I realize the mistake of giving James permission to “enlighten me” with his golf knowledge.
“Red’s the hardest color to track.” And just like that, I made a new friend.
“You just designated your gimme,” James said on hole one when I putted a three-footer with ease.
We golfed at Fort Myers ‘ Country Club on Tuesday afternoon, getting paired with James, born and raised in the area, and Tom, a snowbird from Indianapolis. Both extremely nice guys, they tried to help me. James gave me tips on my golf stroke, while Tom shared his knowledge of the course and its hazards. Unfortunately, the unwanted advice didn’t help my game; it only clogged my thoughts and made me lose focus.
But we had a lovely afternoon with our new friends and learned more about the area. We found it impossible to walk 18 as we hoped; all the courses were booked solid and didn’t permit walking until after 4:00. So we booked afternoon tee times to walk.
On Wednesday, when we headed toward the dog park, it was occupied, so we walked them instead and discovered a second clubhouse with a plethora of activities. Not allowed to have fires in the community, they offered an alternative: a gas fire pit for residents.
After wearing out the dogs, we drove to Sanibel Island. Hungry, we had lunch at Doc Ford’s Rum Bar and Grill before renting Aventon E-bikes from Finnimore Bike Rentals and touring the island. We loved the bikes; after riding 21 miles, they still had 85% battery left. Very easy to use, the pedal-assist options covered anyone’s needs.
We passed a six-foot gator and several construction sites, still recovering from Hurricane Ian four years ago, which washed out the bridge, cutting the island off from the mainland. Contractors worked around the clock to rebuild the bridge and completed the project in 15 days, giving the 6400 residents and over 160,000 average yearly tourists access to the island.
I couldn’t resist joining in the ChatGPT caricature trend with a photo from Sanibel Island.
Thursday brought rain and slightly cooler temperatures. I spent the morning editing my friend’s book while Ron did inventory. Once the rain lessened, we ventured out to lunch, discovering flooded road ways in the community.
A tradition, we enjoyed lunch at Harold’s, the place we went after Toby died, a day neither of us will forget. The little guy went to sleep in my arms after living a long, blessed life. At Marco Island, when it happened, we can’t say enough good things about the vet. She handled the situation beautifully, and they had his ashes ready for us before we left to go home.
Looking back at pictures from our last visit to Harold’s, we saw that the same dog greeted us then as today. A lovely tiki bar experience, we had never visited in the rain before. The heaters made it a very pleasant meal at one of our favorite places.
Cuddling with Ruby and Sophia became a nightly thing, Ruby deciding she had become a lap dog. As much as I love her, typing is hard when I write. But I persevere, loving the warmth she provides for my lap.
Chokoloskee Island had more RV Spots for sale. Located south of Marco Island, it’s a fisherman’s dream. Surrounded by the Chokoloskee Bay, the RV lots rim the shoreline, with a small inlet they call the “lake” on the interior. Prices ranged from $80,000 on small interior pads to $350,000 for spots on the bay. HOA fees of $918-$968 each quarter added a hefty expense on top of the real estate cost. Fun tour, we won’t buy there any time soon.
Stan’s Idle Hour, another fan favorite, has a reputation that far outreaches its location. Many times, when we wear our Stan’s t-shirts back home in Virginia, people comment, sharing their experiences at the “drinking village with a fishing problem.”
Ron and I discovered it on one of our first trips to the area, and return every chance we get.
“It’s Mrs. Roper’s Pub crawl,” said the short, gray-haired lady, handing me my beach store purchase of souvenir t-shirts.
“Huh?”
“Mrs. Roper, you know, ” Three’s Company.” Seeing understanding dawn on my face, she continued. ” They do it every year, it’s a big thing.”
Ron and I had noticed red, curly-wigged women walking down the street as we drove to Ft. Myers Pier, but didn’t know why. Now we knew.
” Uh oh, Paparazzi,” one Roper clad man said with a smile as I snapped a picture.
“How many people have taken a picture?” Said another woman as we walked past, talking to her Roper companion, her voice excited and full of life.
And finally, I had to ask, ” Can I get a picture with you ladies? ” to a couple of Ropers, selling raffle tickets on the street.
What a fun, unexpected adventure in Ft. Myers.
Next year, I’ll have to bring my wig:-).
We enjoyed our day at Ft. Myers Beach, the Roper Pub Crawl definitely made it special. Souvenier shopping, lying on the beach, lunch at La Die Dah and a beach walk back to the car, no complaints from us. The Ropers waved goodbye as we left.
“I’ve been here since 6 this morning,” the old ranger said. “Long day. Gotta long one tomorrow too.”
“How many hours do you work a week?” I asked, my curiosity piqued. Waiting for the cart boy to return at Links of Naples, I had time to spare.
“Twenty-five usually. I’m 87 years old, and I’ve worked here 25 years.” Rising slowly from the cart, pain evident in his face, he pointed to his swollen left knee. “I’m recovering from this since last June. I mean, I do alright, I’m golfing.”
After he told us he was from Springfield, MA, Ron joined the conversation. “Better livin’ down here.”
“Well,” he said, a smile breaking across his suntanned face, “Like I tell people, Florida weather and a little Florida drinking will help you live longer.”
We played the front nine, the temperature dropping as the sun did. Although Links of Naples does have lights, and you can play night golf, we’d had enough excitement for one day.
Grow Church welcomed us warmly, encouraged our walk with a message about the Altar of Praise and sent us out knowing we had received from the Lord.
“I saw a Skillets,” Ron said as he scrolled his phone, looking for Maps.
“Sounds good to me.”
As soon as I saw the pancake platter: 2 pancakes, 2 eggs & breakfast meat, I knew he chose well.
Curt and Kelly, whose son went to the Shipyard Apprentice school, and now works at a marina here.
“Paid him to work, paid for his apartment and paid for his school,” Curtis told us.
We discovered Curtis loved writing scrips, his moving Hanging Millstone available on Prime.
We ended our week the way we started it, at Zeppie’s. Splitting a bacon ranch chicken pizza with a zizag crust (absolutely delicious), we watched the opening of the Superbowl.
Ron requested his favorite RV set-up get memorialized on meandering:
Arriving back at the campsite, we discovered a presnt from our chewer, Ruby. Only one pillow left:-)!
We left Bonita Beach just before 8:30 a. m. and arrived at Lake Louisa State Park at 12:33. By 1:00 we had settled into site 46.
Road trippin’ with Ruby.
We arrived at Louisa Lake State Park around 1:00, checking into site 46. After quick showers we headed it Winterfarden to visit our friends Karen and Collie.
We played nine holes at West Orange Country Club, where they have their golf membership. Girls beat the guys again. Afterwarda we had dinner at the Hangry Bison, then walked to the Planters Market for an after dinner drink.
Tuesday morning, we left at 7:29 for a long day of driving. Catching the sunrise as we left, it’s definitely a park we would like to spend more time exploring. The pups cuddled with me during my quiet time.
Ron in action.
Y’all know I love my husband.
But he has this thing about taking all three dogs. For some reason, he thinks I can handle it because of my dog walking business. And he can’t.
Tonight, I’m teaching him, “He can!” because I’m tired of hearing it. And you know what?
He can!
I’m so proud of him. Full heart.
Thank You, Lord!
We spent our last night of vacation, but the fire at the site nine.
My cutie pie!
Ruby thinks she’s a small dog because of her brother and sister. All week, she climbs on my lap, knocks whatever out of her way, and settles in for a nap.
I love it! Beyond words:-).
In light rain, we began the last leg of our trip home just after 7:30, relaxed, refreshed, and renewed.