Barrel of Monkeys - Cruise Day 3 - Jan 13, 2015

After two nights and one full day onboard ship, we docked at Roatan, an island off the Honduran Coast. I had only vague plans made for the shore excursion, but when my new shipboard friends mentioned they were going to an animal sanctuary called Little French Key, that sounded pretty good. Tagging along with them gave me perhaps the best day of the entire cruise.

Now We're Cruisin' - Days 1 & 2: Jan 11-12, 2015

Taking a Caribbean Cruise while I was in Florida seemed like a good idea because a) the only part of the Caribbean I'd seen before was Bermuda, b) I was close to all the embarkation ports, and c) I was just biding my time until the weather warmed up enough for me to head north. Since I wasn’t picky, I chose whatever was available at the last minute and got a great deal. I had a fantastic time, saw incredible sights, and made new friends. As part of my ongoing effort to catch up posts close to real time, this entry will be heavy on photos and sparse on words.

Keys to the New Year - Dec 28, 2014 - Jan 6, 2015

Nearly two years before I hit the road, a friend of mine from graduate school that I hadn’t seen in twenty years called to say he was visiting San Diego. We got together for dinner, and, when I mentioned my RVing plans, he invited me to visit him in Marathon, Florida sometime, halfway along the Florida Keys. As the timing worked out, New Years for 2014/2015 was when I was in the area. I was thrilled when my friend said he’d be glad to have me visit then. ( In an ongoing effort to bring posts closer to real time, this entry consists primarily of photos with a few captions thrown in.)

Santa Time in Sarasota - Dec 21-27, 2014

I recognized from the beginning of my planning that being on the road by myself for the holidays - Thanksgiving and Christmas - would be a very lonely experience. So, I built into my schedule that I’d be with my sister’s family in Omaha for Thanksgiving, and with my cousin, her husband, my aunt and my uncle in Sarasota Florida for Christmas. On both occasions, the plan worked out. This post recounts my stay in Sarasota during Christmas week. In an effort to bring posts closer to real time, this entry consists primarily of photos with a few captions thrown in.

Coasting along the Gulf - Dec. 16 to 20, 2014

This post covers my travel along the panhandle of Florida: Panama City, St. George Island, and Cedar Key. In an ongoing effort to bring posts closer to real time, this entry consists primarily of photos with a few captions thrown in. I temporarily break that rule, though, to describe meeting some new friends.

Naval Gazing - December 15, 2014

For quite a while now, I’ve been doing the same thing and expecting a different result. I’m referring to my sisyphean efforts to catch up on blog entries. So, it’s time to try something different. Until I get reasonably close to real time, upcoming posts will be predominantly photo essays, with a caption thrown in here and there to set the context. I know readers will miss my mellifluous prose ;-) but something has to be done. Perhaps one day I’ll have the time to come back and fill in more complete descriptions.

The first entry representing this new approach documents my visit to the Naval Air Museum in Pensacola. I went on the recommendation of my friend, David, a retired Navy pilot (Thanks!). A very complete, but very crowded (with exhibits) museum.

Alabama State of Mind - Dec. 11-14, 2014

After an extended stay in Memphis, my next goals were to visit some friends in Montgomery, Alabama and then head for the Gulf Coast. There were some sights along the way, and some great camping spots.

The King - Dec 10, 2014

Graceland. What more need I say? By the way, since it seems I’m going to be perennially behind on these posts, I’m going to start attaching dates to blog entries to indicate when the experience occurred.