Hilton Head Island

No matter how rough the sea, a lighthouse is always shining in the distance to help you find your way~~Author Unknown










We traveled to Hilton Head Island, SC, this weekend. We stayed at the Hilton Head Island Motorcoach Resort which is exclusively for owners of either Class A or Class C RVs. The lots are owned by individuals and are rented just like a condo or cabin. We chose lot #377 which was very nice. It had a perfectly manicured lot with a view of a lake and was very close to the amenities (pool, tennis courts, etc.) My only complaint about this resort was that it seemed kind of formal. It was like living in a very nice housing subdivision with very strict covenants. What motorcoach resort doesn’t allow the RV owner to put lights on their own awning? I could understand not allowing renters to modify the property since it is privately owned but to dictate what they can/can not use on their own RV? Other than that, we were very impressed with the resort although we really didn’t spend much time there; we’re usually out and about most anywhere that we stay. The staff were also very polite and helpful at this resort.
We arrived around 3:30 on Friday so there wasn’t much time to do anything Friday evening. A lot of our friends who have visited Hilton Head Island recommended Harbour Town at the Sea Pines Resort. Harbor Town is famous for the lighthouse although true lighthouse enthusiasts will educate you on the fact that it isn’t a real lighthouse. We decided to visit Harbor Town Friday evening. The children played at the nearby playground, we watched the boats docking, and had dinner at the Cafe` Europa restaurant. This restaurant is located at the base of the lighthouse and had a sign on the door stating it would close for the winter months after Saturday night. One of the shopkeepers recommended that we try it. I would give our dinner a 6 out of 10. Jeff and I both had seafood dishes and we both think the seafood we have eaten in Georgia and Florida coastal restaurants was much better. The she-crab soup was good but I thought the crab bisque that I had in Saint Mary’s was better. The fried green tomatoes were overpriced and not nearly as tasty as the ones I have eaten in Juliette, GA, at the Whistlestop Café. After dinner, we walked around through a few shops and then decided to turn in for the evening since we had a busy day planned for Saturday.
We made reservations for a 12:00 alligator boat tour on Saturday at the Sea Pines Forest Preserve. We packed some trail mix and drinks and took a walking tour of the Preserve, ate a picnic lunch at Lake Joe, and then went on the boat tour. Before I move on to the events, I wanted to note to anyone thinking of visiting Hilton Head Island that only limited tours are offered on the weekends. They offer more tours during the weekdays which seems opposite of any vacation spot that I’ve ever visited. I’m sharing this because if you would like to do the other tours, you really need to plan for a long weekend where you can fit in a couple of weekdays. I really wanted to try the Gullah Tour but the one I wanted was not offered on the weekends.
The Sea Pines Forest Preserve was beautiful and we couldn’t have asked for a more gorgeous day: sunny with a temperature around 71. There were no insects and the mild temperature made the walk even more enjoyable. I challenged the girls to see who could find the most animals. The winner would get a special treat and a prize at the end of the day. They did a pretty good job. Jeff and I joined in. The most challenging animals spotted were the otter, the woodpecker, and the alligator.
We sat near the lake while waiting on the boat tour and was amazed at the Anhinga. The Anhinga are the dark colored birds standing with their wings outstretched. These birds feed by swimming under water. We spotted one in the water with little more than its long neck above the surface. I’ve seen some birds dip their head or body in for a very brief period but I’ve never seen any type that completely submersed itself and swam under water. It was quite fascinating to watch.
The boat tour was educational. We learned a few facts about alligators that we didn’t know before and we spotted several along the banks during the tour. I think the girls enjoyed the boat ride but in the end, I’m not sure it was worth the money. We spotted just as many gators by simply walking through the Forest Preserve. After our tour of the preserve we decided to try out one of the beaches. While the weather was perfect for a nice hike, it wasn’t so great for a day at the beach. The water was pretty cold and we decided to just walk along the beach. The beach was very clean and deserted. There were some people walking or riding their bikes but very few sun bathers. We stayed for about an hour. I think I mentioned it in an earlier post but in my humble opinion, you just can’t beat the beauty of the gulf coast beaches.
By this time, we were pretty hungry since we munched on trail mix and fruit for lunch. Since we were in the Sand Pines Resort we decided to head back to Harbor Town to try The Crazy Crab for dinner. Again, I’d give our dinner a six out of ten. Jeff had the bourbon glazed salmon which was very good. I got the blackened mahi-mahi. I found it to be pretty bland and overcooked. This restaurant’s specialty seemed to be either the fried seafood or the broiled seafood. If we ever eat here again, I’d go that route. It might’ve been better.
Since Rachel and Anna both did great at finding animals, they got their treat…chocolate ice cream. After that, Rachel and Anna wanted to go to the Harbour Town playground so we went there for about an hour and then headed back to the camper for some much needed rest.
We enjoyed our visit to Hilton Head Island and if we make another trip to this area, I would be tempted to stay in Charleston instead and drive to Hilton Head Island rather than staying on the island just to try something different. We had a great time and would recommend it for couples this time of the year when the island isn’t very congested with travelers and kids are in school. Hilton Head Island is beautiful and there is a lot to do for those who love outdoor activities: hiking, bike riding, horse back riding, or roller blading. It is a place I'd visit again but I think we'd spend more time exploring areas nearby to the island.

Sweet Auburn! Loveliest Village of the Plain...

The Auburn Creed
I believe that this is a practical world and that I can count only on what I earn. Therefore, I believe in work, hard work.
I believe in education, which gives me the knowledge to work wisely and trains my mind and my hands to work skillfully.
I believe in honesty and truthfulness, without which I cannot
win the respect and confidence of my fellow men.
I believe in a sound mind, in a sound body and a spirit that is
not afraid, and in clean sports that develop these qualities.
I believe in obedience to law because it protects the rights of all.
I believe in the human touch, which cultivates sympathy with my
fellow men and mutual helpfulness and brings happiness for all.
I believe in my country, because it is a land of freedom and
because it is my own home, and that I can best serve that
country by doing justly, loving mercy, and walking humbly
with my God.
And because Auburn men and women believe in these things,
I believe in Auburn and love it.~~George Petrie

This weekend we visited our alma mater, Auburn University. Auburn is also known as the “loveliest village on the plains:” a line from Oliver Goldsmith’s poem “The Deserted Village.”

Auburn was the place that Jeff and I met one another. It was also the place that we both earned our bachelor degrees and the place that I was commissioned as an officer in the Air Force. Additionally, Auburn is also located adjacent to Loachapoka, the town where we were married. So, for many reasons Auburn is special to us and a place that we call “home.”

We have driven through Auburn and stopped for lunch on the way home to visit family in Alabama but it has been years since we’ve been to a football game in Auburn. We marked it off of our list of things to do when our children were born because we fully recognize the patience of little ones. So, we were looking forward to this trip. We chose the homecoming game because in many ways it is homecoming for us. And, we thought the homecoming activities would be entertaining to the children.
The first matter of business upon arrival was getting Rachel a new cheerleading dress. We stopped for a quick bite to eat and then for a quick photo of Rachel and Anna at the university sign. I would’ve never imagined years ago when I was a student that I would be taking a picture of my own daughters at the very same sign that I stood at as a student only a few years ago.
After the Kodak moment, we immediately headed towards the stadium for the Tiger Walk. Before each Auburn home football game, thousands of Auburn fans line Donahue Avenue to cheer on the team and coaches as they walk from the athletes' dormitory to the football stadium. The tradition began in the 1960s when groups of kids would walk up the street to greet the team and get autographs. During the tenure of coach Doug Barfield, the coach urged fans to come out and support the team, and thousands did. Today the team, led by the coaches, walks down the hill and into the stadium surrounded by fans that pat them on the back and shake their hands as they walk by.
After the Tiger Walk was over, we walked to the building that was home to the Air Force ROTC detachment to see if any fellow alumni were there. I was disappointed to find that there wasn’t anyone else there close to my year group. After that, it was about an hour to kick off time so we decided to go into the stadium. Our seats ended up being only three rows from the top part of the upper most deck of the stadium. We waved to God….that’s how close we were to the heaven. Rachel did not like the height at all at first but after some tears and fretting, she got over it and decided it wasn’t that bad after all.

The pre-game activities are always enjoyable….the marching band, the playing of the national anthem, and the fly-over of F-16s piloted by Air National Guard members who are Auburn alumni. Let me pause for a minute though and say that I find it truly sad that more people do not show proper respect during the playing of our national anthem. During a rendition of the national anthem when the flag is displayed, all present except those in uniform should stand at attention facing the flag with the right hand over the heart. Those not in uniform should remove their headdress with their right hand and hold it at the left shoulder, the hand being over the heart. Now, either people in this country have forgotten or have never been taught proper protocol or they just don’t care anymore. Either way, it’s pretty sad when you think about it as you just don’t find many who show proper respect for our flag. I’ll get off my soap box and move on.

And, as always, it’s always a treat to see our eagle circle the stadium. There are many stories surrounding the origins of Auburn's battle cry, "War Eagle." The most popular account involves the first Auburn football game in 1892 between Auburn and the University of Georgia. According to the story, in the stands that day was an old Civil War soldier with an eagle that he had found injured on a battlefield and kept as a pet. The eagle broke free and began to soar over the field, and Auburn began to march toward the Georgia end-zone. The crowd began to chant, "War Eagle" as the eagle soared. After Auburn won the game, the eagle crashed to the field and died but, according to the legend, his spirit lives on every time an Auburn man or woman yells "War Eagle!" The battle cry of "War Eagle" also functions as a greeting for those associated with the University. I have traveled all over this great country, and no matter where I go, I will usually pass someone who will say “War Eagle” if I have on an Auburn University shirt.

The game was awesome. The weather was beautiful! Auburn played Tulane and Auburn won. One of my very dear friends, Holly, graduated from Tulane. I visited her in New Orleans when we were both students many years ago. I thought of that beautiful campus and how much of it was decimated by Hurricane Katrina. Yet another tragedy of that awful hurricane. But, back to Auburn….

We stayed for the entire game much to the disappointment of Anna who had grown quite tired of the event. As we were leaving the stadium, Rachel informed me that her favorite part of the game was when everyone did the “wave.” Kids enjoy the simplest of things.
Next up on the agenda…rolling Toomer’s Corner. The intersection of Magnolia and College streets in Auburn, which marks the transition from downtown Auburn to the university campus, is known as Toomer's Corner. It is named after Toomer's Drug Store which is located at this intersection. Hanging over the corner are two massive old-growth oak trees, and anytime anything good happens concerning Auburn, toilet paper can usually be found hanging from the trees. Rachel and Anna jumped right in with the rolling activities. I think this was Anna’s favorite part about the whole trip. I’m not surprised.
And, what would a visit be to Auburn without going to Toomer’s Drug Store (formerly a pharmacy and now a soda fountain and gift shop) for some of the best lemonade ever? Toomer's Drugs has the best lemonade in the country. In December of 2001, Esquire Magazine compiled a list of "162 Reasons It's Good To Be An American...." and the lemonade at Toomer's Drug Store was listed in the #1 spot on Esquire's list. Their description follows: "When God was a little boy and He needed extra money, He put up a card table outside His folk's house. This (Toomer's Lemonade) is what He sold."
We headed back to our vehicle and then to dinner at Guthrie’s for some yummy chicken fingers. Guthrie’s is also an Auburn tradition.
After a full day, we drove back home. We had originally planned to bring the RV to do some serious tailgating but decided we didn’t want to burn the leave from work just to get there early enough in the week to have a place to park our mammoth RV. Instead, we drove to and from Auburn on the same day. It made for a long day but we had a great time. And, as it was years ago, it’s still the same today….”It’s great to be an Auburn Tiger!”
War Eagle!
P.S. One of my coworkers shared the following with me in an email. I thought it was appropriate to share on this post. If my words above do not adequately describe my visit to the Plains, this email captures where I may have missed the mark. Enjoy.

I am Auburn. I am the 30 year old couple coming back to campus for the first time with both little ones in tow. One wears her first blue and orange cheerleader outfit; the other wears #34 even though he's too young to understand why. I am the 50 year old man who hoped no one saw tears in his eyes when the eagle circled the field. I was too choked even to say “War Eagle.” For a moment I felt foolish and then I didn't care. God, I love this place. I am the 60 year old woman meeting her freshman grand-daughter who is now the 3rd generation of AU students in our family. Despite my age, I'd strap it on Saturday and hit someone if it weren't for my gender and this blasted arthritis.
I am Auburn and I have always believed I was different. You can see it when you look up into the stands. My orange is not the same as Tennessee's and my blue is not that of Florida. But the differences go much deeper than my colors. Read my creed. What other school has one? I genuinely believe in these things. To be a real Auburn man or woman speaks of character, not of geography. All are welcome to walk though my gates, not just the wealthy or the elite.
Georgia and Alabama may have their nations, but we have always been family. Make no mistake, we loathe defeat, but even in defeat, we would rather be an Auburn Tiger than anything else. We are family and you are the sons of Heisman, the sons of Jordan and Dye. You come from a long line of brothers who names include Burkett, Sidle,Owens, Sullivan, Beasley, Jackson and Rocker. It is a great heritage.
So this Saturday, when the warm ups are over and the prayers and amen spoken, when you hear my thunder growing in the stands above you, when you stand in the tunnel and the smoke begins to form, listen for my voice when you run onto my field. Behind the frenzy of the shakers and deafening roar, I will tell you something in a whisper you may miss. I will be telling you that you are my sons and I am proud of you for the way you wear the burnt orange and navy blue. I am telling you that you are my sons and I love you.
Auburn is so much more than a city or a school or a team or a degree. It is something that, once you have experienced it, will live inside of you forever and become a part of what makes up who you are....It is driving into town on a game day. You may have come from hundreds of miles away and as you get closer and closer to the city limits, you feel it rising inside of you. Other cars on the highway proudly display their Orange and Blue flags or magnets or car tags, and you honk and wave at them, because, for that one day, you are all on the same team.
It is the smell in the air and the ritualistic act of tailgating... catching up with old friends, making new ones, and invitations from perfect strangers to try their ribs or watch their satellite TV showing all of the day's important match-ups...of course, all being secondary to the one that will occur in the great cathedral of Jordan-Hare later that day.
It is the Tiger Walk...where you might just see 300 pound men overcome with emotion and weeping with pride, because you have come there to cheer them on. As they walk by, you might exchange a glance with one or two of them, and you can see it in their eyes...it is going to be their day. It is the students...dressed in their best, because going to an Auburn game is like going to church for Auburn people....you show the same respect as you would if you were in God's house. Those students remind you of the days when you were walking in their shoes and Auburn was your home...but then you realize, in many ways, it is still and always will be HOME.
It is that lump that rises in your throat when the band plays the alma mater as the eagle is soaring over your head during pre-game. It is walking around on a "foreign" and sometimes hostile campus. You are easily identified (Auburn people always are) and the enemy jeers and shouts things at you to mask their feelings of intimidation. But just then you happen upon a friend you have never met before. You know they are your friend by the colors they wear or the shaker in their hand. You exchange a "War Eagle" and a confident grin; because he/she knows what you know.
It is when your heart leaps with every touchdown, field goal, sack, and interception...because those are our boys. And win or lose, they will always have our undying support. After all, it is those boys that you are really there for and not a coach or a logo or a trustee or a president.
It is the complete and utter exhilaration of walking away victorious over a worthy opponent...that feeling of pride and accomplishment as if it were your own feet that had crossed the goal line scoring the last points yourself...that feeling of wanting to scream "War Eagle" at the top of your lungs and hug complete strangers...and then there is the ultimate high of defeating your most hated foes from across the state.
No words can describe what this feels like, but you know because you have experienced it. It is the sheer agony of defeat as the last minutes tick off of the clock and you realize that all hope of a victory is gone. You feel like crying and maybe you do...then you hear the faint sounds of a cheer that grows louder and louder...."Its Great To Be An Auburn Tiger."
It is knowing that year after year, no matter how things change in our hectic lives, you can always come back to "the Loveliest Village on the Plains"...the place where you came from...your home. It will probably look a little different and there will be new names on the backs of the jerseys, but deep down, no matter what, it is still the same. You still love it as much as you always have, because Auburn is as much a part of you as your arms and your legs and the orange and blue blood that runs through your veins.
And, finally, it is the feeling you have right now as you read these lines....the anticipation inside of you, because you know its almost time....Its about to start all over again...but then it really never goes away, does it?

WAR EAGLE!

Trunk or Treating

The church where we are members hosted a “Trunk or Treating” event Friday night. Members of the church decorate their vehicle and the children dress up and go from vehicle to vehicle to trick or treat. We wore our Narnia costumes again and since I didn’t have any Halloween decorations on hand, I decided to use our Chrismas snowflake lights that we used on our RV. I thought that was appropriate to go with the Narnia theme. Jeff was a bit skeptical at first but I think a lot of people enjoyed the theme we had established. Rachel and Anna had a great time at the pumpkin patch and playing with the other children. They got their sugar high with the candy and were ready for a good night of sleep after all of the activity. They needed it since we planned to get up early and go to Auburn first thing on Saturday morning.

No Child Left Inside

"In nature, children find strength."~~Maria Montessori


I read about an interesting concept this morning. I think many have heard about the "No Child Left Behind" educational initiative. There is a new one called "No Child Left Inside." And, it is an initiative that I wholeheartedly agree with.

A study was recently conducted that depicted "a high correlation between the drop in national park visits and the increased time spent with TV, home movies, video games, and the Internet."......Patricia Zaradic, one of the study's authors, has discarded her TV and urges other parents to go outdoors with their children. "The kids are going to do what you do," she says. "If you are spending the majority of your time glued to some sort of boob tube, how can you tell them to go outside and play?"......The "No Child Left Inside" idea is part of a larger national discussion among park wardens, government officials, and environmentalists about how to reverse a growing alienation from nature, particularly among youths. Those concerned cite the health of future generations, and the long-term support for conservation efforts by an indoor civilization. "For thousands of years in human history, kids went outside and spent their childhood outdoors, in nature. In the matter of a few decades, we are seeing the disappearance of that kind of play ... and that has enormous implications," says Richard Louv, author of the recent book "Last Child in the Woods." Studies of children, he notes, show that exposure to nature boosts attention spans, reduces stress, and could be an antidote to the rising problem of childhood obesity."

Many children have forgotten the lost art of playing in the dirt, running in the woods, and skipping rocks across the lake (and many adults for that matter). Add to this that many schools are cutting out recess times and no physical education....gee, I wonder why children in the United States are becoming more and more obese?

Living in an RV encourages outdoor activity because there isn't tons of room to lounge around inside. Of course, we've always enjoyed staying at state and national parks even before we had an RV of any kind. And, we've never been the types to do sedentary activities inside all of the time. But, I'm glad to see that others are starting to notice the benefits of outdoor activity and the importance of it. I do hope that while they are encouraging people to enjoy the great outdoors that they are also reinforcing responsible interaction with nature (i.e., don't feed wildlife, don't litter, etc.).

The article went on to recommend the following:

As for other ways to get the next generation into the woods, her mother has a novel idea: "You know what they should do is tell guys [that hiking] is a cheap date. And the girls will think it's romantic.

Ha! And, all this time I thought Jeff was being romantic when he took me camping at Mt Cheaha, AL, when we were college students. And, it was primitive camping (i.e., no bathrooms or running water) too! It appears I was just a cheap date. :-)
Actually, it might have been cheap (and a bit cold) but it was incredibly romantic. I guess some could say since we now live in our RV that we are on a neverending romantic venture.

The Fair

If you ever start feeling like you have the goofiest, craziest, most dysfunctional family in the world, all you have to do is go to a state fair. Because five minutes at the fair, you'll be going, 'you know, we're alright. We are dang near royalty.'~~Jeff Foxworthy


We attended the fair Friday night. Since we recently visited Disney World, we decided to forego the additional expense of the rides. Instead, we enjoyed the variety of free entertainment that came with the admission price and our daughters enjoyed viewing and petting the animals.

The first event that we attended at the fair was the circus. I have never really been a big fan of the circus. And, this was the first circus that we have brought our children to. Some of the entertainment acts were performed by families; including their young children.

Jeff and I discussed the lifestyle of these children after the circus was over. Our initial thoughts were that it couldn’t be a great lifestyle. Then, I thought a little more and said, “they get to travel all over the country as a family making a living doing what they love. How can that be bad?” I’m sure some people look at how we live and question if it’s good for our children too. I’m not ready to join the circus (nor do we have the talent to do so) but it would be interesting to peek into their lives to see what daily life is like.

We always enjoy visiting the livestock area since they give free milk to the fair patrons. We watched a presentation on how cows are milked and we all learned a few facts about cows. We visited a few additional livestock areas and the girls got to pet some of the animals.

Then we decided it was time to shorten our life spans….we had dinner. What is it about fair food that always smells so good? And, we all know it’s a heart attack wrapped in dough but I guess it’s alright to sin a few times a year. For dessert, we splurged and got a funnel cake. One of my coworkers recommended that we try the fried candy bars. I did later in the evening.

After dinner, we decided to check out more of the entertainment venues. The Beach Boys were playing Friday night but it required separate advance tickets for that. I wish we had bought some. I’ll bet that was a good show. Instead, we enjoyed the other musical talent. The group we watched was called Vocal Trash. While their name doesn’t sound very appealing, I have to admit they were awesome.

After that, we attended a magic show. Rachel and Anna were called up on stage during the show. They still think coins can be pulled from their ears.

We walked around a bit more after the magic show and the girls found the pony rides. They always love the pony rides. While Anna and Rachel were riding, we heard the owner of the ponies talking to another person about how Fridays are always slow because of the local high school foot ball games. We were wondering why the crowds were less than what we usually experienced. I guess we know what night of the week that we’ll be attending future fairs.

It was after the pony rides that we decided to call it a night. We had a pleasant visit. The weather was perfect. It dropped to the low 40’s later that night….the coolest temperature this fall for this area of the country. On the way out, we bought some cotton candy and a fried candy bar. Just when I think I’ve seen all fried food, I find out that I haven’t. I’ve tried fried pickles (quite tasty if you like dill pickles), fried tomatoes, and other typical fried foods but I had never tried a fried candy bar. It was tasty….something worthy of trying once. But, in the future, I’d rather save the calories for some yummy peach cobbler.

Totally off topic but I wanted to mention Suede while she was on my mind. Some of you may recall my “Vanguard” post in September where I introduced Suede so I wanted to provide an update.

We have received several post cards from her since she left. The most recent stating,

Hi. Hoping this finds you more certain of your excellent decision to live in that beautiful RV you bought. Geez….this is such a beautiful and wonderful country! Tall ships in Delaware and home made ice cream at a couple’s home with 26 cats, fresh out-of-the-marsh steamed blueshell crabs one night with another couple on the eastern shore of Maryland, a chance to preach one Sunday at a UMC in Ridgely, MO; walking along the towpath of the old C&O canal; sleeping in the yard of a man named “Snake” and tonight writing this under a halogen parking lot light at a liquor store run by a fellow with only one tooth in his mouth. I love this country! Always—Suede.

Even though she has been gone over a month, we continue to meet people who have crossed paths with her. One morning we had breakfast at Burger King locally and I ran into a guy that I used to work with. When I told him about what we were doing, he asked me if I “knew Suede?” I told him “yes.” He met her previously in his Tai Chi class. What hasn't she done?

On Saturday night, we were speaking to a couple camping next to us who live in Florida. When we were discussing simplifying our lives, I mentioned Suede. As it turns out, they had met her at a different campground in Florida last year. Small world…..

Suede has made her rounds. I suppose we’ll continue to meet people whose life she has touched as we continue our travels into the future.

Seven Wonders of the World

A good friend e-mailed this to me (thanks Jean!). I wanted to share it on my blog except I included photos of my family instead of the photos that were included in the e-mail.

Enjoy.

A group of students were asked to list what they thought were the present "Seven Wonders of the World." Though there were some disagreements, the following received the most votes:
1. Egypt's Great Pyramids
2. Taj Mahal
3. Grand Canyon
4. Panama Canal
5. Empire State Building
6. St. Peter's Bascilica
7. China's Great Wall

While gathering the votes, the teacher noted that one student had not finished her paper yet. So she asked the girl if she was having trouble with her list. The girl replied, "Yes, a little. I couldn't quite make up my mind because there are so many."
The teacher said, "Well, tell us what you have, and maybe we can help."
The girl hesitated, then read, "I think the Seven Wonders of the World are:

1. To See








2. To Hear













3. To Touch














4. To Taste









5. To Feel













6. To Laugh












7. To Love

The room was so quiet you could have heard a pin drop. The things we overlook as simple and ordinary and that we take for granted are truly wondrous! A gentle reminder--that the most precious things in life cannot be built by hand or bought by man.

Sanity Check

It’s been almost two months since we made the decision to sell our home, many of belongings, and move into an RV full time. Many of our friends questioned our sanity initially; many still do. But so many others have found our choices interesting, entertaining or inspirational.

And, since we’ve been in our RV for a couple of months now, many have asked, “have you been happy with your choice?”

If you’ve read much of my blog, I think the answer is easy to ascertain. But, let me elaborate a bit more.

Neither Jeff or I regret our decision at all. And, our children are very happy. If we have any regrets, it’s that we didn’t make the changes sooner.

There are two things that you’d always like more of when you live in an RV…storage room and time. Pantry space and closet space are premium real estate; the closet especially now that the weather is in a transition phase where it’s cool in the mornings and hot in the afternoons requiring us to have cool and warm clothes. And, we wish we had more time off from work to take longer weekend trips. There is so much we want to see and do and just not enough time to do it all. But we fit in what we can both in time and space and life has been enjoyable as is.

We’ve had the RV serviced for routine maintenance and they kept it over the weekend. We ended up staying in a hotel which I hated. The places we stayed at were nice. It’s just that I never sleep well in a place that is not my home. And, I hated living out of a suitcase if only for a few days. I guess that is why traveling by air or car never seemed as appealing to me….too much work packing and unpacking. With an RV, we don’t have that problem unless we set up a bunch of things outside of the RV like decorative lights, etc.

I wasn’t sure if I’d like our washer/dryer combo in the RV when we purchased it. Many people told us that these units don’t wash much at a time and take up much needed storage space. But, we’ve used ours a lot! Every morning I throw in dirty clothing from the day before. The beauty of the unit is that it is both a washer and dryer. So I put in the clothes before I leave in the morning and it will wash the clothes and then automatically go into the dryer mode. Our clothes are dry and ready to be folded and put away when Jeff gets home in the afternoon. The only negative that I see is that I can’t wash all of my bedding at once. So, we usually bring those items to the comfort station on a weekend and wash those at one time.

Living in small quarters continues to affect my decisions on what I will and will not purchase; and that is a good thing. When you truly think about it, most people could get by with significantly less stuff. And, we have found that to be even truer with each passing day. I evaluate each new purchase carefully. If it’s something I have to store and maintain or has no useful routine purpose I honestly have no use for it. We have splurged on some decorative lights to go outside of the RV so that the kids still get some of that festive holiday spirit but other than that, we haven’t bought much other than wonderful memories.

I leave you today with this parting thought from Jim Stovall:

“I am often reminded of the early mountain man who roamed freely throughout the Rockies far before that area was settled. He was able to move unencumbered along beautiful mountain trails where very few people had ever been able to go. Years later in his life, he had obtained more possessions and wealth. While traveling through the area in a wagon, he was forced to take a desert road instead of his beloved mountain trail. As he gazed at the beautiful mountain peaks in the distance, he realized that his quest for a few material things had changed the course of his travels and the course of his life.”

Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party

"Why do we have to grow up? I know more adults who have the children's approach to life. They're people who don't give a hang what the Joneses do. You see them at Disneyland every time you go there. They are not afraid to be delighted with simple pleasures, and they have a degree of contentment with what life has brought - sometimes it isn't much, either." ~~Walt Disney

We attended Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party last December and we have plans to do that again this year. This year we wanted to try the Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party .

We left last Thursday much later than we should have. We arrived at Fort Wilderness around 7:30 p.m. We have long since learned that arriving late typically doesn't have good outcomes for us. This trip was no different. When we used to travel in our car and we arrived late, it was never pleasant either. Since it would be late and dark, it was assured we'd get lost and since everyone would be tired and cranky, it usually meant an argument. Arriving late and after dark is even less desireable in an RV. It's difficult to park an RV in the dark and again, if it's late, we all tend to be cranky.

The first campsite was difficult to get into and once we were settled, we began to set up lights, etc. I decided to vacuum the inside while Jeff was finishing up outside. Our site was very small and because of this some of our storage doors would not open....so Jeff had to crawl inside one to get the bicycle trailer out. While inside, he smelled smoke...like an electrical fire....so he took a peek outside and saw smoke pouring out of the shore power box (where the camper is plugged in). He then jumped out and hit is head on the storage door. He then came in to tell me about it and I noticed his forehead was bleeding. He was not a happy camper (literally). I mentioned that is why I always close those doors (I ran into one of the doors when we were inspecting the camper on pick up day....I chipped one of my front teeth). He was not in any mood for a lecture. I would've taken a picture of him to share as he looked like he'd been in a fight. But, I decided that it wouldn't be a good idea to find humor in his predicament at this point. We laughed about it later.... but while in the moment...there was no humor in it. This was not the "happiest place on earth" while we were getting set up.

So, I returned to guest services and requested another campsite. Now, I fully welcome people from other countries to the United States but when I'm having a problem, I'd prefer to speak to someone in customer service where English is not their second language. I tried explaining our problem. I told him smoke was coming from the electrical hookup box and that we'd like another site. After he grasped what my problem was (or so I thought), he assigned us to a new site. I arrived back at our original campsite to find Disney maintenance personnel speaking with my husband about our problem. The guy asked Jeff if we had reported a problem about "a piano being on fire?" So, I guess the verbal exchange with the guy at the guest relations desk wasn't entirely clear after all.

Since we had to move, that meant packing up stuff we had already set up and putting our bikes back onto the bike rack. By the time we got to to our new site and got everything set up, it was close to 9:30 and the girls were exhausted. Our 9-year old neice, Mary, came with us for this trip. Even she was asleep on the sofa.

Friday~Halloween Party Night

On Friday morning we went to Shades of Green, the military resort on the Disney property, to buy our tickets. Jeff and I decided to buy an annual pass for him, Rachel, Anna, and me since we had several trips planned to Disney World over the next 12 months. And, we bought Mary a 2-day park hopper pass so she could see as many of the parks as possible over the weekend. To get the military discount, you have to purchase the tickets either at a military base or Shades of Green. Shades of Green is the only place that sells the annual pass though. We've stayed at Shades of Green before. It is an awesome resort that reminds me a bit of the Wilderness Lodge. There is a cool wood carved Mickey in the lobby decorated in a patriotic theme (see left).

We rode the ferry boat from Fort Wilderness to the Magic Kingdom. Then we took the tram to the Polynesian Resort which is located across the highway from Shades of Green. We decided to travel in this manner rather than driving so that Mary got to experience the journey in a more interesting way since this was her first trip to Disney World. We bought our tickets at Shades of Green and then headed back to the Polynesian Resort for lunch. After lunch, we went back to our RV to rest up since we knew we had a long night ahead of us. The Halloween Party goes until midnight and we planned to get our moneys worth.

The Halloween Party officially started at 7 pm. But, Disney allows you to enter the park as early as 4 pm with the party tickets. The trick-or-treating doesn't begin until 7:00 though. So, we arrived at 4 pm in costume to begin hitting the rides and to have dinner. Our friend Roger joined us this evening. Roger used to work with Jeff and me a few years ago and he took a job in Orlando and has been in Orlando ever since. It was great to see him as always and he helped us tag team the kids while at the theme parks. Its always good to have an extra set of eyes!

We decided to go with the Narnia theme this year for our costumes for the Halloween Party. Rachel was Queen Susan, Anna was Queen Lucy, I was the White Witch (Jadis), and Jeff was in a knight costume. Narnia characters aren't as popular as others but there were definitely a few children who recognized me. And, they would excitedly yell "it's the White Witch." One family even stopped me in the park to ask me to pose with their daughter for a picture. The girls had a blast trick-or-treating. And, Disney isn't skimpy with the candy....they give it out by the hand fulls.

I'm sure some of you may be wondering where is the rest of Anna's hair. She was adamant that her hair would be short like the character Lucy. So I took her before we left Georgia and got it cut. She looked like a different child. I miss her long locks but the new hair style is actually quite fitting for her.

The "Boo-to-You" parade was awesome and all of the Disney villians were out for pictures. Rachel got to dance with Jafar when she got a picture with him. Of course, what would a visit to the Magic Kingdom be for a Halloween party without visiting the Haunted Mansion? And, the Pirates of the Caribbean ride is much better with the modifications that Disney made recently. Of course, our favorite ride is still the Buzz Lightyear ride. The fireworks show was awesome as always with the theme of "Happy Hallowishes."

We loved the Halloween Party and recommend it to others who might be considering it. We would definitely do it again! I was worried about it being too hot for our costumes but it ended up being very comfortable. And, we enjoyed wearing them as much as others enjoyed seeing us in them. We will be back in December for the Christmas Party and we'd like to come back in January or February for the Pirate & Princess Party. The major benefit to these special parties is that they limit the number of ticket sales which makes the wait time for rides minimal to none at all. And, at the Christmas event, they give out hot chocolate and gingerbread cookies. Plus, the parks are decorated up for Christmas and they are awesome to see!

Saturday~~Animal Kingdom and Epcot

We had planned to make this a liesurely weekend but since this was Mary's first visit to Disney World, we wanted to hit the hot spots and let her experience as much as possible. Since we went to the Magic Kingdom for the Halloween Party, we decided to use the remainder of the weekend to visit the other parks. We went to the Animal Kingdom on Saturday morning. Everyone enjoyed the Jungle Safari ride and the Dinosaur ride. We didn't ride the new Everest ride this time but we plan to do that when we are back in December. We had lunch at the Rainforest Cafe at the Animal Kingdom and got the lava cake for dessert. It was huge! We shared it and then we all rolled out of the restaurant and headed to Epcot. We had hoped to ride Soaring but there was a 75 minute wait and they were no longer giving out Fast Passes. So, we went to the Living Seas exhibit. The girls had a great time looking at the manatees and walking around the aquarium. We went shopping afterwards. It was here that Anna spotted the Minnie Mouse outfit and she had to have it. Most of the stuff at Disney World is highly overpriced but she had her heart set on this dress complete with matching shoes and a headband with ears and bow. We figured why not? We have a limited number of years to enjoy this type of thing with them so let her have it. She wore it home on Saturday and wore it all day on Sunday so I'd say she got her money's worth (and so did we).

We returned to Fort Wilderness and went to the Chip and Dale's Campfire Sing Along Saturday evening. Fort Wilderness has this most nights of the week. They have an outdoor amphitheater where they play Disney movies. They have a campfire to roast marshmallows and Chip and Dale come out for photos with the kids. Our kids always enjoy this so we try to make it out for at least one of these each time that we stay at Fort Wilderness. There is no additional cost to go and if you are staying at another Disney resort, you can also go to this as well.

Sunday~~MGM

On Sunday, we visited MGM Studios for the majority of the day. We all rode the Tower of Terror. This was Rachel's, Anna's, and Mary's first time to ride the Tower of Tower. Prior to this trip, Anna did not meet the 40" requirement for several rides...but thanks to her "Magic Ride Shoes" with those big heels she made the cut this time. So this was her first trip where she could ride some of the more intense rides. Rachel and Anna loved the Tower of Terror. Jeff, Mary and I rode the Aerosmith Rocking Roller Coaster for the first time too. It was awesome! This was another ride that Jeff and I had not done before because the kids could not ride it either. That is one feature that I like better about Universal/Islands of Adventure versus Disney World...Universal has parent swap rooms. Once you wait in line, one parent can wait with the kids in the swap room area. Once the first parent is done with the ride, you swap, and the second parent immediately returns to the front of the line. This is great in that you can still do the rides without having to wait in the lines twice if everyone can't or doesn't want to ride.

Rachel and Anna love the "Honey I Shrunk the Kids" playground. That is the one thing they always look forward to at MGM. We spent all of this money and the thing they like the best is a playground....something they have outside of our RV every day. It's kind of like Christmas...you give them great toys and they get more enjoyment out of the boxes that the toys came in instead of the toys themselves.

We took them all to see the Playhouse Disney, The Little Mermaid, and the Beauty and the Beast play.

We watched the parade at MGM in the afternoon. I was glad that we did. It was the first time we had taken the time to do so as we usually try to take advantage of the short wait times on rides while everyone else watches the parades. The MGM parade has completely different characters including the ones from Pixar movies, Star Wars, the Muppets, and the typical Disney cast. Pinnochio picked Anna out of the crowd because of her Minnie outfit. And, Cruella picked out Rachel. They were both so excited to be noticed.

After a long day at MGM, we returned to Fort Wilderness and had dinner at the Trail's End restaurant and then the girls went swimming for a while. The pool at Fort Wilderness is open 24 hours and its heated so you can still swim during the cooler months. I wasn't in the mood to swim and bugs were swarming me sitting by the pool so we only stayed about an hour. But, it was already around 9 pm and after another long day, we were all ready for bed.

Overall, it was a great weekend. The weather was beautiful and not too hot or humid. The crowds weren't that bad either. Although, I suspect it was probably busier than we wanted because of the school break this week. It was a whirlwind weekend but we had a great visit and can't wait to come back in December.