New Van for the East Coast Vehicle

2000 Ford Excursion (green)

We have been thinking for some years about replacing our 2000 Excursion that we’ve had for 11 years.  We looked online (cargurus.com), really wanted a backup camera and hoped a Honda Odyssey would be big enough for all our stuff.

     

We found a 2010 Odyssey (Touring) at a good price at a Daytona Beach dealer last month, put a  $500 deposit to hold it (but could be refundable if we wanted), and saw it today, driving over from Sarasota  on the way to the Titusville timeshare.   We did the paperwork... a long process ( as you know-- Got there at

3:30 p.m. after leaving Sarasota at 9:30 a.m. and left dealer at 8 p.m.).  So we own the Odyssey now, and they took the Excursion in on trade, so they own it which we have dealer plates on now so we can drive it the 1 hour south to Titusville.

They gave us several choices:

1.     Transfer all stuff from Excursion to Odyssey tonight at dealership.

2.      Drive both vehicles down and transfer items, then drive both back.

3.     Take the Excursion down to unload it, then come back and pick up Odyssey on  Monday.

     Joan didn’t want much to drive in the dark, especially as we don’t know exactly where we are going in Titusville (we’ve never been to this place). And it would have been terrible doing it quickly in the dealer parking lot—so much stuff!

     Review:  Yes, got it, the 2010 Odyssey... we own it now but going to take our old van now to new condo unit and unload it. Then drive back and pick up new van . We traded old van. They own it now (but we're driving it!!!)  We own new van.  Will get it Monday!!!!

Are we in LA?

It almost looks like it

But it's on I-4 through Orlando.  The road is still very rough and now even more construction around it, but even Saturday midday it was quite  busy.  But as a friend in CA said, "It's too green for LA."

At the Beach, Gulfside This Time

Suntide Island Beach Club, Sarasota FL, is really on Lido Beach!

  We were thrilled to get a Gulf resort exchange (through Platinum Interchange) and this converted motel is one of the best we have seen.  Built in 1958, converted to timeshares in 1983, a longtime owner told us there was a take-over in the 90’s, and then more than $1M renovations was put in over the years since then.  Maintenance and furnishings are all very nice.  It’s a small resort (just two-story buildings) and quiet, which we like.  We could park right in front of our unit. 

The pool is a good size and was nicely warm, easy for Joan's laps and the hot tub was one of the best.

     We had the small 1 BD unit, with four chairs surrounding the kitchen counter, that were on wheels so easy to get around.  The galley kitchen had just one entrance which made it a little small, but it was adequate and had plenty of pots and pans, baking pans, small appliances.  Nice heavy duty Pflatzgraff dishes but just a service for four, and since my husband refuses to use the full-sized dishwasher unless it’s totally full, and we can’t serve too many meals with just 4 plates, we just hand-washed dishes every day.  

There was no balcony or patio which we really like to have, but each unit had two chairs and a table outside the door and we have never seen so many places to sit outdoors in a small resort:  a gazebo, two palapas, three sun-decks, two other oceanfront decks, all with chairs and also many chaise lounges on the beach!  More beach chairs are available in the office.

      The resort is beachfront so just feet away to walk over to it.  The office area has a  large and attractive lobby, with a computer and printer to use, a large outdoor grilling area for the weekly hot dog lunch, a game room and  pool table and pingpong table, book exchange and office staff who are very helpful.  There are many grills around the property, a shuffleboard, playground and a pavilion.  Wi-fi worked well.

    

      Maintenance staff are quick to answer and during an unusually large windstorm (one guest who had been coming for 60 years had never seen such a storm – even more water coming up than during a hurricane there) when seawater was clear up into the parking lot (we had a true waterfront unit then!) they worked hard, putting sandbags by each unit’s door and working hard to clear the debris, which included seafoam. 

Water pouring in from the beach to the driveway

Can we even get to our car to load?

This was Friday but by Saturday morning, with more sandbags and reduced wind, we could get to our  car.

     

    We totally enjoyed our stay and would love to come again.

ITEC in Dunnellon, Fl

 We always like to stop at ITEC (Indigenous People's Technology and Education Center) if possible and so we visited here today.  Unfortunately, they are closed on the weekend (we forgot that) but someone was still here to talk for a while and update us.  This organization was started by Steve Saint – some of you who have followed us know about his story.  If you would like to know more, contact us…. or them. Here is the website:  https://www.itecusa.org/

See our BLOG post at https://ronandjoanjourney.blogspot.com/2009/10/july-26-aug-2-steve-saint-son-of-nate.html

Walking in the Rain

Joan made Ron walk our 2 miles in the rain today.  Soft “Seattle rain” all day.  

    He said then he wasn’t going.

   Then it stopped.  She said, “Let’s go.”

    He said, “Let’s find a road with no mud puddles!”

     We went to Ehrman Road, a wide gravel road.

First mile, no rain. It’s good to walk in the middle of the road so the trees don’t drip on us.

     We turned around for the second mile.  It started to rain, still softly though.

You can see the soft rain from the puddle.  

Ron got way ahead while Joan took the picture. 

Walking in the Wisconsin Woods Again

  Some of you will remember the beautiful woods’ pictures from last year (September 2017 posts.)   This year, doctor’s orders are for Ron to walk 2 miles per day and he has been faithful. 

     This year, we first started at a nearby road, Ghost Creek Road (Forest Road 204), driving to the intersection of the Namegakon Road (which is Forest road 322) and parked to walk east on it.  It’s a quiet road with overhanging trees. (We walked one mile and then turned around; Joan has an APP on her phone, rather than a FitBit.  This, then, is our pattern.)   

Sometimes we are in a national forest!

        The next day we walked west on that road.  Our van is always faithfully waiting for us, and being green Ron wonders if it is camouflaged?

Patiently waiting!

     The next day, we walked up the Ghost Creek Road, a wide gravel road.  As we were leaving, we saw an UPS truck driving up the road: on the satellite map we can see a few homes along, and the road also connects with state hiway 77 to Hayward (is it a short cut, or was he delivering?) 

We are on County Road M and this is just east of our place at Telemark Point condos on Garden Lake, part f Namekagon Lake.

Our condo is just above the marker, with the dock for our boat just to the left

     The next day, we walked up the Ghost Creek Road, a wide gravel road.  As we were leaving, we saw an UPS truck driving up the road: on the satellite map we can see a few homes along, and the road also connects with state hiway 77 to Hayward (is it a short cut, or was he delivering?)  The speed limit is 35 mph and he was certainly going that!

      The next day, Ron wanted to find Ghost Creek, so we drove up the road to the “creek.”  It wasn’t “ghostly,” and it didn’t look like a creek:  it looked like a pond on two sides of the road .. and without much movement.

      Yesterday it had rained so hard in the morning that Joan wanted to walk on a gravel road without many trees that would drip.  Ron thought of the McCloud Lake Road, so we drove down it ….

surprise: a 35 mile speed limit sign.  Oh no – look at the road .. we only drove 15 mph down the whole 3 miles.  We should write a letter to the county.   

At the end of the road is an older “lodge” building and a turnaround.  We parked and walked back a mile, hoping there were not many hills going down, so that we would only be walking ‘down’ going back. 

 It was a pleasant walk, and we saw this many mushrooms at just one stop.

We were so close to the lake but all the property around it was gated off with warning signs:  No Trespassing

Today we went on the Dam Road, parking at the Namekagon River dam, waking down the road to Forest Road 1730.  We heard a vehicle, thought it was from the road and then looked behind us on forest road – it was a van, going slowly (of course, there’s only 2 ruts.)  The couple said they were just enjoying riding down the road and were so surprised to see someone walking.  We said we were surprised to see a vehicle – you don’t see very many here – and we like that!

Launching the Boat

Friendly boaters Teresa and James help Ron. 

James had already gotten wet loading his boat, so he jumped right into the water again to help Ron.  

The boat at the dock at sunset!

Pontoon Boat Rides

So much fun with new friends - Dick, Sharon, Gerry, Jane - at Telemark in the pontoon boat on Lake Namakagon.  

Dick (in the yellow shirt) has skied the Birkie (a 55 km X-country race held here in February) for 37 years!

 

Sharon, Jane and Joan

Driving through Phillips, WI Was Fun

Our hosts at the Airbnb in Wausau last night told us about this sculpture park.  We had actually seen it in past years as we drove by but hadn’t stopped.  On the way to Telemark, we drove through Phillips.

Fred Smith's Wisconsin Concrete Park

    Amazing to find this in such a small town.  It was so interesting -- but how much time did he spend doing this? Incredible.

Getting out the car, we first saw this deer in the forest.

Very attractive sculptures...and shiny and colorful. 

The horses pulling the Budweiser wagon actually look real - go up close and their eyes look like they are looking at you.

The Iwo Jima was terrific!

Liberty

Bonnie’s Café

  Then we needed to eat lunch.  The lady at the stone house said all the restaurants were on Main Street and it would be easy to park on the street.  We found Bonnie’s Café and were able to park right across the street, yes, even with the boat. 

How could we not go here?  Joan’s mother’s name was Bonita, and often called Bonnie.

   Lunch was delicious!  Such a good stop.

And who knew this song?