Memorial Day Weekend

Saint Augustine, FL

We made our first trip to Saint Augustine. An acquaintance recommended Anastasia State Park so we decided to try it out. We made reservations last year as we heard that it usually gets booked quickly. That seems to be the norm for most Florida State Parks; particularly those along the coastal areas. Anastasia State Park was very nice. Although, we were a bit nervous entering the park in our RV as the gate opening was extremely narrow leaving only inches on each side of the RV. The campsites were private. However, they did not have gravel or a pad to park on. The comfort stations were clean and nice as well. You could not walk to the beach from your campsite. I recommend bringing a bike or plan to drive to the beach area within the park. The beach was clean and really not extremely crowded considering it was Memorial Day weekend. The only other Florida State Park that we have camped at is Top Sail Hill Preserve. It, too, is a very nice state park but it is located in the Gulf area where as Anastasia is on the east coast of Florida.

We went to the beach shortly after arrival on Friday evening where the girls enjoyed wading in the surf and collecting shells. We took a long walk and enjoyed the sun setting.

Saturday morning was spent at the beach. By 1:00, we had enough of the sun and the sand and returned to the camper to clean up. Afterwards, we visited the Saint Augustine Light House. We walked all 200+ steps to get to the top. The children did well going up. However, going down was a bit tougher. Rachel is not fond of heights. We were barely able to coax her out to get a photo at the top. Both she and Anna weren't really fond of the walk back down the steps but they successfully completed it. We visited the museum on the property where we saw a couple of lizards as we were leaving. Jeff told the girls that they were "snuggling."


We then decided to go to the Ripley's Believe It Or Not Museum in Saint Augustine. As we were walking into the museum, I saw an alcove that had an exact replica of Michelangelo's statue "David." Anna got a big laugh out of it when she saw that his genitals were clearly shown. Her next comment with a big grin on her face was, 'I guess that's why they call this place "believe it or not."' I'm still laughing about that.


The "David" Statue

This was our second visit to a Ripley's museum. We previously visited the one in Gatlinburg, TN, and this museum was very similar. One particular area that we remembered from our last visit was the two-way mirror strategically placed as you get close to the exit. The mirror features displays of people who can contort their face in wild configurations and it entices you to attempt to do the same. What the unsuspecting victims don't realize is that it is a two-way mirror and people who have already passed through this area are watching you on the other side as you make silly faces. Honestly, I could sit there all day and watch people from the viewing side. It is absolutely hilarious. And, what is even funnier is seeing their face when they realize that they were being watched previously. One couple was so embarrassed that they didn't even pause to watch others.

Rachel and Anna making faces at the two-way mirror

Afterwards, we were ready for dinner. We had several recommendations from friends of places to try. Our choice for the evening was the Salt Water Cowboy. Their menu had items such as fried, grilled, and blackened shrimp, etc. And, unique delicacies such as soft shell turtle, alligator tail, and frog legs. We weren't feeling especially adventurous so we stuck with the fried shrimp which was excellent. The prices are moderate, the food was very good, and the service was excellent. The atmosphere was also unique. Rachel and Anna gobbled up the garlic cheese biscuits they serve with your meal. I definitely recommend this place to anyone visiting the Saint Augustine area. And, thank you Robert for the recommendation.

Jeff, Anna and Rachel at the Salt Water Cowboy Restaurant

Afterwards, we returned to our camper where we met our neighbors: Brandon, Peggy and their three children...Jackson, Helena, and Mia (I hope I spelled every one's name correctly). Rachel and Anna had a great time with the children. Brandon and Peggy had a fire going so we joined them and we all cooked s'mores.

On Saturday, we returned to the beach in the morning. Brandon, Peggy and their children joined us a bit later where the kids had a blast building a sand fort and using their Daddy's legs as an obstacle course to surf through.

Castillo de San Marcos

By 1:30, we had our fill of the sand and sun again and we returned to the RV for showers and clean clothes. We visited Castillo de San Marcos for a short period afterwards and then we parked and walked around the historic area of Saint Augustine. Saint Augustine has certain aspects that reminded me of New Orleans, LA, and other parts that reminded me of Savannah, GA, regarding the landscaping and architecture. The children enjoyed the playground next to the parking deck and browsing the shops in the historic area.

Anna at Castillo de San Marcos (Renovated Bridge of Lions in the distance)

We ate dinner at the Columbia Restaurant in the historic area of Saint Augustine. The prices of entrees are high and but the food was also very good. However, if I had to recommend one place over the other, I would recommend Salt Water Cowboy over this restaurant. Columbia also had a nice atmosphere but it took a while to get our food and the kids grew impatient because the meal lasted a long time. Rachel did love the fresh baked bread that they brought to our table with our meal. I believe her exact response after taking a bite was, "Bless my little old heart. This is the best bread I have ever had." She is a true southern belle. Only southerner's say "Bless its heart." My coworker Jessica once explained that southerners can say whatever they want and not be taken as insensitive as long as they follow it with that phrase, such as "That baby sure is ugly. Bless its heart."

Anna and Rachel at Fuentes de los Canos de San Francisco

After another busy day, we retired to our camper for a movie and to relax.

We were very fortunate that the weather was beautiful the entire weekend. We were expecting to see some rain showers but we were spared. We also noted how low the traffic flow seemed both driving to and driving from Florida. We assumed it was due to the increased fuel costs. We were glad to see that the state park was still full so people are still camping but the fuel costs make any really long trips virtually impossible.

On Sunday, it was time to pack up and head home but we had one more stop to make while traveling home: Andersonville.

All Gave Some; Some Gave All....Memorial Day 2008

American Girls and American Guys
We'll always stand up and salute
We'll always recognize
When we see Old Glory Flying
There's a lot of men dead
So we can sleep in peace at night
When we lay down our head~~Lyrics from Toby Keith

I wanted to visit the Andersonville National Historic Site and Cemetery on the way home. Jeff was unsure about where he could park the RV at Andersonville so when he stopped to get gas in Tifton, we unhooked the jeep. I drove the jeep with Rachel and Anna to Andersonville and Jeff continued on home. It only seemed fitting that we would stop in Andersonville on Memorial Day. While there, we met a former Prisoner of War (POW) from the Korean War. His name is William Abbott. I bought a copy of his book, Blood Runs Red White and Blue, and he autographed it for us. He was more than happy to pose for a photo with Rachel and Anna.

A quote from the his book's Foreward section (written by Colonel John Zitzelberger) follows:

Those who became prisoners endured some of the harshest conditions that American POWs have ever had to endure. We have never, in any of our country's wars, had enemies who treated our prisoners the way the Chinese treated those who were captured. The treatment our men endured in captivity in Korea ranks as some of the most grueling, harsh treatment that our armed forces have endured as POWs, and William Abbott was among them.

Anna and Rachel with Mr. Abbott

In the Introduction, Mr. Abbott wrote:

My hope for this book is that every person who reads it will come away with a positive belief that each of us has an obligation to maintain allegiance to our God, family and country; and that everyone, regardless of rank or standing can make a difference in his own life, as well as the lives of others. To the men and officers in uniform, I always say, "Remember that you are the final leg of diplomacy of your nation. After all the political heads have gone home, it is your action upon which the world will judge your country. God has given you an opportunity to be a citizen and a defender of the freest, most prosperous nation on the face of the earth. That freedom has been preserved through the blood and sweat of others. Should you do less for those who follow in your footsteps? I think not. With a lump in your throat, a tear of compassion in your eye and God's hands on your shoulders, be resolute in your heart that freedom shall not perish from this land on your watch. I wish you Godspeed, and may the blood in your veins always run red, white and blue."

Like Bill Robinson, a former Vietnam POW and father to a good friend of mine, Mr. Abbott struck me as a very likable and good spirited person. I can only imagine the horrors that Mr. Abbott and Mr. Robinson endured as POWs; yet, today they don't seem bitter or unhappy given the circumstances that they have lived through. I think it puts the minor trials and tribulations of my life in perspective. We thanked Mr. Abbott for his service to our country and then walked through the museum and then drove around the Andersonville prison and cemetery.

Visiting Andersonville or any national cemetery is a very humbling experience. It truly takes your breath away when you see the thousands of head stones....and, to know that so many of these graves were as a result of our own Civil War so many years ago. Andersonville was a horrific Civil War prison where over 13,000 Union soldiers died while the prison was open (which was only 14 months).

And, while watching a video at the Andersonville Museum, I took special note of one person speaking in the film who said, "you never truly appreciate freedom until it is taken from you." I hope I never have to lose it to understand the message he was trying to get across.

We on this continent should never forget that men first crossed the Atlantic not to find soil for their ploughs but to secure liberty for their souls." ~~Robert J. McCracken

Spring Break 2008

Jeff and Anna at the National Naval Aviation Museum in Pensacola NAS

Motto to Live By: Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body; but rather to skid in sideways, chocolate in one hand, martini in the other, body thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and screaming, "Woo Hoo! What a ride!"~~Sign in a shop in Fredericksburg, TX

Meridian, MS

We left shortly after lunch on Friday and arrived in Meridian, MS, several hours later. There was no particular reason that we chose Meridian other than it looked like a good half way point on our way to Arlington, TX. We stayed at a Meridian East/Toomsuba KOA Campground. Like the majority of KOA campgrounds, it provides an adequate place to stay the night. I couldn't imagine making any KOA campground a multi-night vacation destination but they suffice well for a quick overnight stay that is easy access to the interstate. However, there is one huge positive about this particular KOA. It is not located right next to the interstate so you won't hear traffic noise in our RV as you sleep at night. We were up early on Saturday and on our way to Arlington, TX, to visit with family members who live there and nearby there.

Arlington, TX

We arrived in Arlington around 3 pm. We checked in to our campground, Tree Tops RV Village. This RV park was very nice and a place that seemed like many called home. There appeared to be several RVs that were full-timers. And, the park was set up more like a small subdivision with cul-de-sacs than a typical RV park. We called our family members to notify everyone that we had arrived safely and began settling in. However, when Jeff tried to put our driver side slide out, it seemed to be hung up on something. After closer inspection, he found a bolt that had come loose. Luckily, there was a Lowe's nearby. Our Uncle Ed went with Jeff and as luck would have it, they had the right size nut and bolt that we needed. We were so grateful that this didn't happen in a more secluded area or finding a replacement wouldn't have been so easy. Everyone met at our camper for the evening. Our Aunt Lena, who lives in Sanger, TX, drove to Arlington to visit with us. Our Uncle Ed, Aunt Barbara, Cousin Christopher and Grandma all met us at the camper for dinner. We grilled out hamburgers and hotdogs and enjoyed a nice evening relaxing and catching up.

On Sunday, we ate breakfast at Uncle Ed & Aunt Barbara's home and then we attended church service with the family. We ate lunch at Red Lobster after church and then we visited Grandma's apartment complex. Grandma moved here a couple of years ago from Princeton, WV. This was the first time that we had seen her new home. It was lovely and we can understand why she has settled in so well here. Grandma gave us a tour of the apartment complex which was quite nice...complete with a chapel, theater, game room, restaurant, etc. The girls especially enjoyed the game room.

We returned to Grandma's apartment for some cake to celebrate Christopher's 17th birthday a bit early. It seems like just yesterday that Chris was the little tyke running circles around us. Now, our two were running circles around him.


Later, we went back to Uncle Ed & Aunt Barbara's home for the evening. One of Uncle Ed's friends stopped by later in the evening with a new Lotus that he just purchased. Jeff and Uncle Ed both got to ride in the new Lotus. Now, Jeff wants one. He is getting close to 40 so I guess it's about time for a mid-life crisis sports car purchase.

I forgot to mention, Maggie, Ed & Barbara's dog. She is a lab and Rachel and Maggie became friends very quickly.

On Monday, we visited a local entertainment place called Alley Cats where we bowled and played video games with Uncle Ed. Rachel had a great time playing Deal or No Deal. I think we need to register her for the TV show. She did a great job playing. We had dinner at Uncle Ed & Aunt Barbara's home and then we watched Christopher's Junior Varsity baseball game where Chris pitched the final few innings of the game leading his team to victory.
We left on Tuesday morning to our next stop, Fredericksburg, TX.

Fredericksburg, TX


We arrived in Fredericksburg by early afternoon on Tuesday. We quickly settled into our campground. Our campground was very nice with easy access pull through sites. The comfort station and facilities were also pristine. And, it was very convenient to downtown Fredericksburg. After getting settled, we drove to the historic area of Fredericksburg to browse the shops and select a place for dinner. Before dinner, we had dessert. We visited the Chocolat shop on Main Street. They specialize in liquid filled chocolates which I did try. I have to say that their fudge was much better than the liquid filled chocolate that I sampled. My sample had bourbon in it. If you like that kind of thing, you would probably enjoy it. I prefer plain chocolate, thanks. You can't visit Fredericksburg and not eat at a German restaurant. We chose the Auslander. The food was great. I probably gained 10 pounds tonight alone. And, the main item we shopped for were cowboy hats for the girls. Anna had to have a red hat; her favorite color. And, Rachel had a pink one; her favorite color. Of course, we don't mind dressing them up like this. We know these days are numbered. They enjoy it too. Plus, it brings a smile to most adults who pass them that notice their ensemble.


We decided to hike the Summit Trail at Enchanted Rock on Wednesday. I didn't mention earlier that Jeff and I had visited the Fredericksburg area moons ago. It was B.K. (before kids). I believe it was 1995 so it's been a while. We also hiked Enchanted Rock on that visit but it was during the summer and was certainly a lot hotter than it was on this trip. Rachel and Anna enjoyed the hike. Usually, they do reasonably well on hikes as long as it is not hot and that was the same for this.

Enchanted Rock is second in size in the United States only to Stone Mountain in our home state of Georgia. Rachel wore her pink cowboy hat while hiking. At one point, a group of Air Force men were hiking up Enchanted Rock and the Sergeant goaded them by telling them that a little girl in a pink hat was hiking quicker than they were. Of course, they were on the second trip up at that point and they were carrying 50 lb backpacks but that didn't matter. And, after reaching the top, the sergeant dropped them for some push ups. Hearing those men and seeing them reminded me of boot camp years ago. I can honestly say I was grateful that I was on vacation and not them at that particular moment. We were done with our hike by lunch time and we decided to go back to Fredericksburg for lunch. We selected a different restaurant; Wheelers. The food was delicious here also.
After lunch, we visited the Lady Bird Johnson Municipal Park for a short hike before returning to our camper for dinner. We did notice that there were campsites available at this park as well. However, it is located next to a small airport. I don't know how much noise is experienced from the airport but the park was nice and within a reasonable distance to downtown Fredericksburg.

I had purchased some steaks that we grilled for dinner at our RV. Then, we played putt-putt golf. The putt-putt course was located right next to our campground so it was an easy walking distance and we were the only ones playing so we had the entire course to ourselves. It was great! Of course, the only person to get a hole-in-one was Anna. And, the winner of the game was Jeff....he is still gloating about it.

On Thursday morning, it was time to hit the road again. We had a pleasant stay in Fredericksburg but it was time to start our journey towards home.

Lafayette, LA

We stayed at the KOA campground in Lafayette. Again, no particular reason other than it was a good midway point to our next stop; Pensacola Beach, FL. While there were some nice things about this campground, I have to admit, it was very noisy. It is located directly next to the interstate. We have a rig and we heard a lot of the traffic noise. I could not imagine how bad it would be in a tent, pop up, etc. But, it met our needs for the evening. We enjoyed dinner at the Olive Garden in Scott, LA. I know there are nice areas of Louisiana but the Lafayette area was not the most favorite place we've traveled through.

By now, Simba has gotten quite accustomed to being a traveling kitty. He sometimes rides in the very front watching the traffic or he'll peer out of the side windows watching the scenery as we drive down the interstate.

Pensacola Naval Air Station, FL

U.S.S. Alabama in Mobile, AL

We were up early and on our way to Pensacola on Friday. We drove through Mobile, AL, and we spotted the U.S.S. Alabama docked in the bay as we drove past.

Lighthouse at Pensacola NAS

We arrived in Pensacola around 1 pm leaving us plenty of time to get settled and enjoy the beach for the late afternoon. This was our first time to stay at the Pensacola Naval Air Station (NAS) and I must admit, it is very nice. The name is Oak Grove and it is located on the naval base so you must be affiliated with the DoD to be able to stay here. In addition to the campsites, they also have nice cottages right on the beach as well. We had a nice pull through site complete with full hook-up. And, the best part, we only had to walk about half a block to access the beach. And, there was hardly anyone else out there which made it even better.

We awakened to a torrential rain storm on Saturday morning. We were very glad that we had the opportunity to enjoy the beach the day before. After checking the weather forecast, we realized we were very fortunate to have missed bad weather in the other areas that we had traveled through. Since it did not appear that we'd be able to do much outside on Saturday morning, we decided to visit the Naval Aviation Museum located on the base.

I have to admit, we were very impressed with this museum. There are only two aviation museums that are larger: The Smithsonian Air and Space Museum and the Aviation Museum located at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio. I have never been to the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum but I have been to the Aviation Museum located at Wright-Patterson. We also have an Aviation Museum in Warner Robins. I have to admit that I enjoyed the museum at Pensacola NAS better than I did the one in Dayton. But, they are both very impressive nonetheless. We all enjoyed our tour of the museum and we attended an IMAX film after lunch. I asked Rachel after watching the IMAX film "if she was going to grow up to be a fighter pilot?" Her reply was, "no." I asked her, "why?" She replied, "because they fight." "And, sometimes they die. And, I don't want to die." You can't argue with that logic. I don't see her deviating from her current plan to become a veterinarian to becoming a fighter pilot any time soon. Although, she did flash a smart salute in this photo below. Makes an Air Force mommy's heart smile. Did I mention she wore her pink, frilly cowboy hat while at the museum? You wouldn't believe the number of comments and smiles she received. :-) Of course, my favorite times were when Jeff was relegated to hold her hat and Anna's orange purse while we visited the restroom. Poor guy....you can tell he's a father of girls. It just doesn't seem to phase him anymore.

Even the restaurant, the Cubi Bar & Cafe, located inside the museum was excellent.....great atmosphere and yummy food.

Cannon at Fort Barrancas

Around 3:30, the rain finally began to clear out so we took the opportunity to visit Fort Barrancas. This fort is also located at the Pensacola NAS. The ranger working in the visitor center was wonderful and particularly attentive to the girls. She even shared a cracked and empty baby bird egg that she found on the trail earlier in the day. Rachel was on cloud nine after receiving this very special gift. I hope to have the girls participate in the Junior Ranger Programs offered at many state and national parks and historic sites now that they are older. They learn so much during our visits and I know they would love one of their summer camp programs.

What was also humbling was the vision of almost 40,000 grave markers at the Barrancas National Cemetary which is also located on post. I have been to other national cemetaries including the Arlington National Cemetary in Washington D.C. and Andersonville which is located very near to where we live. It is always humbling to me to see these. It is a stark reminder that "freedom is not free."

Unfortunately, we were unable to view a Blue Angel show while visiting the Pensacola NAS. They were performing in Texas during our visit. However, they do perform regularly in Pensacola which is their home. If you've never witnessed one of their performances, it is really a "must see." I remember viewing one as a college student. I was at the beach and they performed directly overhead. It is definitely awesome to witness! You can view a show schedule on their website if this is something of interest to you.

On Sunday morning, the weather was still cloudy but no rain. We were able to enjoy a nice, long walk on the beach before packing up and heading home. We definitely enjoyed our stay at the Pensacola NAS and we will try and make another trip here again.

I have to admit, it does feel good to be back home but we had a wonderful spring break vacation trip. Rachel and Anna were sad that our family members are so far away in Texas and they wanted to visit again. We hope to make another trip out there some time in the future. But, now it's back to the grind. It's hard to believe that there are less than two months left of school for the girls. Wow! Summer break is almost here.