​ Our first day on the road was not an easy one. Just after we got on the Florida Turnpike near Fort Pierce, a truck pulling a boat passed us and a folding chair in its sleeve flew out of the boat and we ran over it with our left front tire. We pulled over and saw no damage, we dodged the bullet that time. 

Fifty miles south of Gainesville, someone decided to roll their Jeep over and we were held up in traffic for an hour and a half.

Then just outside of Lake City a car pulling a popup camper with three bikes on top of it passed us.  When it was about fifty yards in front of us one of their bikes fell off and I could not miss it and ran right over it. I was able to not hit it with my tires and the only damage we had was our generator exhaust pipe was ripped off.  The bike then got wedged under the Jeep and we dragged it over a bridge before we could get off the road safely. The people did come back and give us their insurance information and the Highway Patrol also stopped to make sure everyone was ok. We were very lucky that we did not hit the bike when it made its first bounce off the trailer and it went under us instead of into us. 
 
Oh, life on the road is so much fun!  But not today.

We are now heading north after spending an extra three months in Delray Beach, Florida.
​
We have never stayed in one place this long (7 1/2 months) since we have been on the road. Having never visited Florida in the summer before we found out what real humidity is. We have seen torrential rains followed by high temps and thus the humidity is very uncomfortable. 

We were still glad to have Cathy and Scott in the area. Scott joined me one morning on a birding trip to the refugee. Later he made Bourbon Bacon, maple syrup, brown sugar and bourbon mixed together and then basted on bacon. Sweet as candy and made a nice accompaniment to our nighty bourbon tasting. We will miss their company, Scott's cooking and our nightly Mah Jongg games.

With a soft opening of outside dining, we were able to get back together with Susan and Robert again for a nice dockside dinner. They also invited us to use the pool at their beautiful home, so we could beat the heat and humidity. It has been great being able to visit with them for these past 7 months, and catch up with our longtime friends. 

After sitting for over seven months it was time for some TLC for the coach, so, we hired a detailer to give her a spa day. 

One day Josie and I drove up to Juno Beach and visited the Loggerhead Marinelife Center. We were able to see many of the turtles that were found stranded on the beaches of south Florida, and their efforts to heal and rehabilitate them for release back into the wild.  

With the golf courses reopening Robert and I were able to play golf around once a week. Social distancing is in effect on the courses, with only one person per cart and each hole adjusted so your ball only falls an inch or so into the hole and you do not have to ever touch the flag. I took advantage of the off -season rates and one day played the famous Doral Blue Monster Golf Course. 

Hope this post finds everyone healthy.  We are still in Florida and most likely will be for some time to come, since all the travel plans, we had for the summer have been cancelled or delayed. We have to say this has been a great place for us to ride this out. We have Josie's daughter and son in law, Cathy and Scott nearby and we have been getting together with them for dinner and Mah Jongg. 

This is the longest period we have ever stayed in one place in the six and a half years we have been on the road. Like I said before this is a great place to ride this thing out because the family that owns the park are very nice and they shut down new arrivals when the lock down started in March. Many of the people who were here, have gone back to their homes in the north, so the park is only half full now

We have never shown any of the symptoms of the virus, so we have not been tested even though there are many places we could go to get tested. We still wear masks when we go out in public and the beaches and golf courses are just now starting to reopen. Some restaurants and other businesses are also opening very slowly. The Boca Raton Resort which has been closed, shows the LUV every night and the Blue Angels did a flyover to salute medical workers.   

Many of the local farms have been overloaded with fresh produce since restaurants have been closed, and they have opened up drive throughs where you can buy a box full of vegetables, fruits and even flowers. Scott is a fantastic cook and he and Cathy have made us many great meals. On Kentucky Derby Day they treated us to Mint Juleps and Bourbon Chicken. Josie made a Bread Pudding with bourbon sauce for dessert. A few days later we celebrated Cinco De Mayo with beef and shrimp tacos. On Mother's Day they made Josie's favorite meal of ravioli and shrimp with lots of chocolate for dessert. We still try to order out a few times a week and support the local mom and pop businesses.  We also celebrated with Scott after he passed a test he had to take for his job. 

Scott and I treated ourselves to one last Stone Crab Feast before the season ended by pigging out on Colossal claws from the local seafood market. We also have been sampling a few nice bourbons on Mah Jongg nights. 

Spring here in Florida is beautiful with all the flowers in bloom. I have been out to the wildlife refuge a few times, where it is very easy to social distance. I was able to get a rather poor picture of a Swallow-tailed Kite scratching its head in flight, and also pictures of butterflies, grasshoppers and of course Wally Gator.  

We hope that this blog post finds every one of you healthy and doing well. I know many of you are hunkered down and waiting this crisis out just like we are.

We were going to head north on April 1st but with everything being up in the air now we are going to stay at least an extra month in Florida. We have tickets for the Kentucky Derby and with that being rescheduled till Labor Day weekend it will make us adjust our summer travels. We are still planning on spending most of the summer in Michigan.
. 
Of course, just like everyone else at this time we will just have to go with the flow and see how this whole thing turns out.
​
Our day to day life has been mostly reading and playing games on our Kindle Fires. We did get together with Josie's daughter Cathy and son in law Scott a few nights a week but starting tomorrow Boca Raton, where Cathy and Scott live, will change from social distancing to a quarantine in place.    Scott has been cooking a lot of tasty meals for us and we really appreciate it. We also have been trying to get take out a few days a week in order to help the local businesses.

Josie has taught Scott and Cathy how to play Mah Jongg and they have picked it up very quickly. Each game evening, Scott has been sharing his supply of fine bourbons with me. So I made a quick stop at the liquor store and picked up a bottle of Jefferson's Ocean bourbon. Liquor stores are considered essential businesses, with only 10 customers allowed in at a time. Other than that we stay home and only go to the grocery store once a week during senior hours.  With the gym now closed we try to walk the neighborhood and just keep our distance from other walkers. If we go in the heat of the day we don't see anyone.

Hopefully in a month or so we can all get back to normal. Until then stay safe everyone. 

We hope this blog post finds all of you healthy. We are still in Delray Beach, Florida. We were able to get in some fun times before the needed virus restrictions went into effect. 

Before the virus shutdown we were able to get out with Susan and Robert a few more times. We had one great evening at a restaurant that had all you can eat Stone Crabs. I managed to eat 18 of them, stopping just before it became uncomfortable. They truly are delicious. Of course, Josie had the shrimp and they were the size of her hand. A few days later we had Stone Crabs again with Cathy and Scott and we did manage to eat out a few other times before the restaurant restrictions went into effect.

We were able to attend two Spring Training games before they cancelled them due to the coronavirus. We were able to get Cathy to one of the games by bribing her with cotton candy. I also took Robert and Susan's cousins to a game. One evening I met Robert at the Palm Beach Stadium for a Florida Atlantic University vs number 1 University of Florida game. The following night I went to see FAU play number 7 Miami, at FAU stadium. 

We were able to get to Gulfstream Park for a day of horse racing before they also closed down for the virus. We had a visit to the Palm Beach Polo Club scheduled as well, but it was also canceled. 

We are enjoying our time here in Delray Beach with Josie's daughter Cathy and her husband Scott. We have been meeting for dinner at least once a week, either going out to many of the fantastic restaurants or enjoying Scott's gourmet cooking.

​He treated us to rib fest for the super bowl and with my Chiefs winning again after 50 years it was an exciting evening. Of course, I am old enough to remember the Chiefs only other win. I was in the Navy in Virginia Beach watching it at the home of Tom and Barb Smyth. Scott broke out a fine bourbon and we toasted the Chiefs win.

We have attended the Boca Raton Greek Festival and Seafood Festival and we joined our friends Robert and Susan in their home town for the Wellington Brew Fest. The fun seems to never stop.  

One evening we checked out the Silverball Pinball Museum in Downtown Delray Beach. We had a blast playing the vintage pinball machines. It was the first time Josie had ever played pinball and she really got into it, so much so that she broke a fingernail. We also had a very spirited Skeeball competition where on one game we all had the exact same score. 

The next evening Scott made us a fantastic Valentine's day dinner of steak and asparagus, and Josie made a Bread Pudding with a bourbon sauce. We are eating way too much this season! But as you will see in the final section of this post, we do work out 4 days a week.  

As I mentioned above, we attended the Wellington Brew Fest with the Mays and we try to get together with them at least once a week. We usually meet at a local brewery for a few beers and then have a nice dinner at a nearby restaurant. One evening we met at the Norton Art Gallery in West Palm Beach and after checking out the various exhibits, went to dinner nearby. 

On another evening we met them for dinner at the beautiful Rosemary Square in West Palm Beach and then attended the Musical Hamilton, at the Kravis Center. It was a very special evening. 

Our long time Virginia Beach friends, Hutch and Lynn spent a few months just down the road from us in Pompano Beach, and we were able to see them a few times. Once at an Elton John Tribute Band dinner concert and then again at their place on the inland waterway before heading over to the Beach House restaurant in Pompano. 

While Hutch and Lynn were in town I was able to play golf with them once and with Hutch and Lynn's brother and sister-in- law at the Pompano Golf Course. The East Coast Goodyear Blimp is stationed there and you can see it from the course. 

I also have played up in Wellington with Robert and his friends. On a very hard course.

Josie walks the mile to the gym and back 4 times a week. I join her most days if I am not out birding or golfing. We both enjoy the Thursday Tai Chi Yoga class, which stresses flexibility. 

The last three weeks of 2019 have been a whirlwind of activity for us. We went over to Cathy and Scott's and had a great view of the Boca Raton Lighted Boat Parade.

​ A few days later we met with Susan and Robert at Due South Brewery for a pre-dinner drink, then over to The Old Key Lime House over on the Inland Waterway for a fine meal.  A few days after that I attended the Boca Raton Bowl with Robert and his family and friends. We had a great tailgate and then FAU destroyed SMU during the game. 

Cathy and Scott finally made it back down to Florida from Rhode Island after Cathy was given the go ahead to travel with her fractured arm. A few days later Josie's son, Michael and her two Granddaughters Abby and Anne arrived along with Josie's ex and his sister Gail. The family had some fantastic dinners together and all of us went over to see the 100-foot Christmas tree. While there we also rode the Carousel  and laughed ourselves silly.

 One day the crew drove up to West Palm Beach and visited the South Florida Science Center and Aquarium. A good time was had by all. 

​One evening we all played a game of Left Center Right, and it turned out to be a very competitive event. Later that evening  we all made candy for the girls to take back home with them. It was great to spend time with the Donahue side of the family. 

My birding friend, Ingrid just happened to be in town attending a family reunion and was staying only a few miles down the road from us. So, we were able to get out one morning and do a little birding. A few days later I participated in the Christmas Bird Count with a group from Everglades Audubon. 

Missy flew into West Palm Beach the day before the Orange Bowl and after I picked her up, we had brunch with Josie, Cathy and Scott. From there we went to Cathy and Scott's for a nice visit. Missy and I drove down to Hollywood, Florida and spent 2 nights and days taking in the Orange Bowl atmosphere. We attended a night before party at the team hotel and then the next day went to the Fan Fest at the Hard Rock Stadium. UVA put on a fantastic tailgate party a few hours before the game. Virginia put up a good fight but just couldn't beat the Gators, in what was basically a home game for them. Despite the loss we had a great time, and it is always great to spend time with the daughter.

On New Years Eve Scott cooked a gourmet dinner of Red Snapper and Yellowtail on the grill, and excellent side dishes to go with them. We played Mexican Train and Yahtzee until just before midnight. We then took our adult beverages out on the balcony and watched the fireworks over the inland waterway. 

On New Year's Day Josie made the Southern traditional Black-eyed Peas and Ham, and we ate even more great food. 

HOPE EVERYONE HAS A GREAT NEW YEAR!

It still astounds us that we have been on the road for this long. What started out as a two-year adventure is now going into its seventh year. We have traveled over 47,000 miles and stayed at over 250 locations, in all but 4 of the lower 48 states.  We have had so many fantastic experiences and met so many new people. Many of whom we have become great friends with and have visited them at their homes. We also have been able to visit with all of our relatives and that is why we are now in Delray Beach, Florida, to be near Josie's daughter Cathy and her husband Scott who live in nearby Boca Raton. 

Unfortunately, Cathy and Scott have been in Rhode Island for the past month, because while they were trying to sell the home they have in RI, Cathy fell and broke her arm so badly she had to have  major surgery to repair it. We are hoping for their return by the Christmas Holidays. 


We are not going to set a limit on how much longer we are going to live this lifestyle, we think that when the time comes we will just know it's time to settle down. Thanks to all of you who have been so encouraging for these past 6 years. Hope to see you again in the years to come. 

We are now spending the winter in Delray Beach, Florida. It is located on the East Coast of Florida, between Palm Beach and Boca Raton. We have never spent any time in this area, and only drove through on our way to the Florida Keys or to stop in for a quick visit with our longtime friends Robert and Susan, who live in this area. We met them in the 1980s when Susan taught with me in Virginia Beach.  

They were gracious enough to ask us to join them for Thanksgiving and we had a great time and ate way too much. Before the feast Robert invited me to play golf with him and their son, Brandon, and daughter Alyssa. I was also able to tailgate and see the Conference USA Football Championship with Robert at Florida Atlantic University, where he and Susan both graduated from. We hope to get together a lot more with them while we are here for the winter.

We are getting used to the area and learning our way around. We found a huge Festival Marketplace which reminded us of the Mesa Market in Arizona. We attended our first Jai Alai match at the Dania Beach Casino and it was very exciting. The game is very similar to handball, but far faster and larger. 

Delray Beach is a very beautiful town. With a vibrant Downtown full of high-end shops and fine restaurants. One evening we enjoyed a very tasty meal of mussels and on the evening of the 100 foot Christmas Tree lighting , we had tableside prepared guacamole and margaritas. For the Christmas Tree lighting they blocked off the main street and had lots of entertainment and food trucks to enjoy. The fire department used their hook and ladder truck to lift Santa up to light the tree and the evening was a lot of fun.

We drove up to West Palm Beach one evening to the beautiful Kravis Center to see a performance of "The Play That Goes Wrong". Unfortunately we did not see much humor in the performance and we, along with hundreds of others, left at intermission. We will try again soon to go back for another show. 

Josie has joined the local Silver Sneakers group and is attending classes 4 days a week. It is only a mile away so she has been walking to classes.

​ I joined the Delray Beach Men's Golf Association and am playing in their outings on some Mondays and every Wednesday. So far I have only won $12 dollars but have been having a great time meeting new people. I was even able to join them for their annual after golf Christmas Luncheon. There are lot of crazy things you can see on the courses here in Florida, Everything from Anhingas, Alligators, Iguanas and even Pink Flamingo tee markers. 

The birding here has been good but I need to get out more and hit a few of the hot spots soon. 

We moved from Disney World to Dunedin, on the west coast of Florida, so we could visit with our dear and longtime friend, Pat Joseph, her daughter Susie and son-in-law Tom. As you may remember from one of our blogs earlier this year, Pat's husband Bob passed away last March. He was truly missed on this visit. Our time there flew by as we seemed to go out to dinner almost everyday.  One evening Susie and Tom drove over in their golf cart and we had a great meal at the Lucky  Lobster. On another occasion we ate at a Florida Chain called Ford's Garage. The restaurant theme is all about old Ford cars, with two outside the restaurant and one hanging over the bar inside. Even the sinks in the bathroom were made of car tires. The burgers were just as exciting as the decor.

Josie and I did one whole morning of antiquing, and we were lucky enough to find a great addition to her collection. That day we passed by a restaurant that said it had a "Hall of Fame" Cuban Sandwich so we had to stop in and try one. It was large enough we split one and also had a side of delicious black beans. 

 I played a round of golf at the Dunedin Country Club and was surprised to find that it was designed by the famous golf course architect, Donald Ross, and that many of the greatest golfers in the world had played there.

Our RV friends Lee and Carol are from the Bradenton, Sarasota area and they have purchased a beautiful Condo right on the Manatee River. We had a scrumptious dinner at their new place and enjoyed the sunset from their balcony. The next week Lee invited me to play golf at Lakewood Ranch with two of his friends. Bob and Rich. We had a fun round and it would not be golf in Florida without seeing an alligator. 

I was able to get out on the water two days with my Navy Buddy, Tom. We boated out to Egmont Key one day and then waded on in to help set up tents for the Egmont Key Open House the next day. We rewarded ourselves after a hard day's work with a nice meal at a waterside grill. 

A few days later we returned to Egmont Key and fished the area. We had a fun day catching Speckled Trout, Spanish Mackerel, Lady Fish and beautiful Perch. We practiced catch and release and let them all go.

While Tom and I fished the ladies went antiquing and Josie found a Salt and Pepper set for her collection at a store Paula knew about. They went out to lunch and then came back and played Mah Jongg. 

Tom and Paula had us over for dinner one evening and as Chef Tommy prepared another one of his fantastic meals, Paula and Josie played Mah Jongg. I will try to do justice to the description of this fabulous meal. Josie did provide the dessert. 

                                                                            Appetizers  
                          Marcona Almonds, Pistachio Peanuts, Kalamata Olives, Cheese Cubes
                                                                           
                                                                            First Course 
                          Tuscan Broiled Shrimp Wrapped in Prosciutto, Flambe' with Sambuca   

                                                                           Second Course 
                                                     Ribollita Peasant Soup with Italian Bread

                                                                            Main Courses
                                                  Roast Turkey Breast with a Bacon Blanket,
                                        Mushroom Gravy, Mashed Sweet Potatoes with Ginger,     
                                        Moroccan Roast Beets with Pomegranate and Pistachio,
                                                    Creamed Spinach with Coconut Milk 

                                                                                Dessert 
                                               Cranberry Clafoutis with Vanilla Bean Ice Cream

Later in the week we had at dinner at a fun local place, called the Linger Lodge. It was owned by taxidermist for many years so the place is decorated with dead animals many of which he found on the road. He even printed up a road kill menu. 

We were very surprised when we were contacted by an old friend from Virginia who saw a post of ours on Facebook and realized we were staying only 2 miles from where he is now living.  Bob and his friend Marty invited us over to their beautiful home for drinks and then we had another great dinner at the Linger Lodge. Bob is the uncle of the first family Josie was a Nanny for, and we have known him for years. We had a great time catching up. 

I was able to bird at the Celery Fields, a local birding hot spot. Not only did I get some nice bird pictures but took a few of the local Flora also, Spider Lilies and Water Hyacinths. It would not be birding in central Florida if you did not see at least one gator.  

We are now parked in Delray Beach, Florida till April 1, 2020. 

When you have 15 years between visits to Disney World you have to expect many changes, but hope that some of the rides and attractions that you have come to remember and love over the years are still there. One of the changes is the use of new technology in the form of the Magic Band. When we checked into the Fort Wilderness Campground Resort, we were both given a band that you are to wear when visiting any Disney Property. This band has your daily passes on it, your Fast Passes and can be used to charge everything that you buy in the parks. You hold the pass up to a reader and then scan your fingerprint so you are not able to give the pass to anyone else. Along with the Disney World App on your phone you are able to keep track of what attractions you have Fast Passes for and the times to show up to use them. You also can see the wait times for other attractions and how long it will take you to walk to them. You can also see how long it will be till the next bus or boat will be arriving to take you to your next destination.  

We spent 12 days in Disney World but only went into the parks every other day.  We visited Epcot twice and on our first day we rode the Test Track Ride and Josie bruised her hand so badly holding on we had to go to first aid to get ice for her to bring down the swelling. We attended a lot of the other shows and attractions, but on our second day visiting Epcot we ate our way around the World Showcase, with the 15th annual Epcot Food and Wine Festival. When we were here 15 years ago this was just a small event but now there are over 40 kiosk's selling small plates, wines and beers from all over the world.

​Josie and I used our fitbits every day and we figure we walked around 25 miles while we were here in the park. 

On days when we did not go into the parks, we still attended other great events, which all included more fabulous food.  We visited Disney Springs, which used to be called Downtown Disney, and had a great meal at Chef Art Smith's Homecoming Restaurant. Here we feasted on Fried Chicken with  Powdered Donuts, Mashed Potatoes, with Maple Syrup on the side. 

One evening we attended " Savor Sip and Sparkle" on the top of the Contemporary Hotel. We were treated to Champagne and other libations as we ate small plates ranging from California Rolls to Buffalo meat Flatbreads. We then were able to watch the Magic Kingdom Fireworks display from the top of the hotel. Afterwards we finished the evening with decadent desserts. On the ride back to the Campground by boat we passed the Electrical Boat Show, the oldest running show in Disney World, that started on the first day the park opened in 1971

A few nights later we attended the longest running dinner show in the park, The Hoop De Doo Review.  We have gone to this show every time we have visited Disney World. It was even better this time than we remember it from years past. Somehow, we were seated right in the front row. Your meal is served family style and it's all you can eat and drink. We were thankful we could walk home from this one and work off the calories. 

Another evening we attended "The Rivers of Light We Are One Dessert Party" at Disney's Animal Kingdom. We were treated to a smorgasbord of not only tasty desserts but absolutely beautiful creations. One of the cupcakes had a scene from the Lion King in the icing. Again we were glad it was a mile walk back to the bus stop so we could burn off a few of the calories. 

We boated over to the Magic Kingdom for two of our park days. Of course, the whole park was decorated for Halloween. Josie had a fun time trying on a few of the hundreds of types of Mickey Ears that are for sale all over the parks. We saw almost all of the same attractions that have been in the Magic Kingdom for almost 50 years. In one of the newer shows, Monsters Inc Laugh Floor, they put Josie's picture up on the big screen and called her the lady wearing the linoleum shirt. We believe that many of the people in the audience did not even know what linoleum is. Disney is now constructing a brand new indoor roller coaster right next to Space Mountain. It will be called Tron, after the 1990s Disney Movie by the same name. 

On our final day at the resort we took the "Keys To the Kingdom Tour" Our guide Natalie, took us around the park and shared many of the little known facts about the building of the park. But the highlight was being able to go behind the scenes and see what goes on in the " Off Stage" areas of the park, including the miles of tunnels below the Magic Kingdom. We were not allowed to take any pictures in these areas. Disney has 74,000 employees, making it the largest employer at one location in the US. 

I have always wanted to play one of the Disney Golf Courses and this trip I was able to play the Palm Course. I had a great round shooting 39 on the front nine but fading on the back nine, but still shot an 85 which is 5 below my handicap. 

On our one day at Hollywood Studios we saw the Indiana Jones Show and a few of the other new  shows that have been added over the past few years. But the big new draw is the new 1 billion dollar, Star Wars Galaxy's Edge. If you are a Star Wars Fan and there are thousands of them visiting this new attraction, then this is right up your alley. We saw hundreds of people carrying their own custom-made Lightsabers that cost around $150 dollars each, and custom made droids that go for $100 a pop. I did ride the first of the new rides in this area, "Millennium Falcon, Smugglers Run" It is an interactive simulator ride where each of the six people riding have a task or two that they have to do during the ride. I was an engineer and had to press a few buttons and flip a few switches during the ride and if I didn't it would slow down the ride. It was fun and not too intense. When we left the park that evening just before the nightly fireworks show we were about the only ones in the bus station. 

On our one day in the Animal Kingdom we took the Wild Africa Trek. It was a 3 hour tour behind the scenes of the animal enclosures. Our guide Jason, fitted us with harnesses for the trip and gave us radios so we could hear them. Josie knew there was going to be two suspension bridges to cross, but what we both did not know was they were missing many planks that the Disney folks left out for visual effects. Even though she is afraid of heights Josie did great, she had a lot of encouragement from the rest of our group and our guide Donica was with her all the way cheering her on.  We were able to meet a few of the staff that took care of the animals and we got up close to many of the animals, as you can see by the pictures below. After a few hours we were treated to a fantastic African inspired meal, served to us in a canteen style container. We were even able to eat the flower that was in the meal.  After the trek, I rode the Everest Roller Coaster that was just being built when we visited here 15 years ago. That evening we attended the dessert party mentioned above and then had front row seating for the Rivers of Light Show.