So, we left Medina Lake, and headed towards Carlsbad.  We had a planned detour based on a recommendation from some good friends.  They’d told us about the Monahan’s Sand Hills State Park. Since we didn’t plan on going to White Sands, this was going to give us a bit of a taste of the sand dunes.  It turned out to be a great stop.  Based on the timing, and our future plans for snow, we went ahead and purchased one of the saucer sleds they have.  Molly had a blast going down some of the sandy slopes.  Not much fun going up, but I agree with her on that part.

We then got back on the road, and headed to Carlsbad.  We had a reservation for the Carlsbad KOA, which is about 30 miles or so north of the main town area.  But, IT finally happened to us.  This particular IT, is a tire blow out.  Fortunately, it was one of the rear dually tires, on the outside.  Unfortunately, CoachNet picked the wrong intersection of Derrick and 285.  Seems there is one WAY north of where we were, and they chose that one, even though I said I was almost in Carlsbad.  That mistake cost me 7 hours of sitting on the side of the road waiting for a tire repair guy, when there was a shop, literally, 5 miles away.  Anyway, enough about that.  We got it fixed up, and headed to the KOA.  Diane and Molly had some time on the side of the road, and had also gone ahead to the KOA to let them know we’d be late, and get our check-in stuff.

We’d planned to spend our one full day in Carlsbad by going to the Caverns in the morning, then up to Roswell for the afternoon.  Since we’d gotten into the park so late, we opted to sleep in a bit, and just go to the Caverns.  Diane was in the bat cave spirit with her hat, and we were all impressed with the size and beauty of the Caverns.

The people at the Carlsbad KOA were fantastic.  They have a restaurant there, and even deliver to your RV after you order!  We were grateful for their understanding the first night, and overall hospitality.

Next stop, Tucson, AZ.

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After a stay in Livingston to get mail, car inspection, etc., we headed over to San Antonio.  There, we stayed at a couple places.  First, we spent a couple days in town at the Carefree Travelers World RV Resort in San Antonio.  This was a pretty nice, clean park.  They were pretty full, and the spot we got barely fit our RV length.  The location of the park was what we were after, as it was close to the Alamo, and provided a good launch pad to get to the local Sea World, and up to Austin.  Our first day there, we headed into town for the Alamo, and we were all surprised the the size, location, and such.  It’s quite the tourist attraction.  After milling about there for a while, we headed to the river walk sections, and had fun with more crowds and detours around work areas.  Eventually we found a fantastic Mexican restaurant called the Guadalajara Grill, and got some dinner. It had a fun atmosphere, and great Mexican food that hit the spot.

The next day, we went up to Auston.  The main purpose was to visit a work colleague of mine, but we took some time to also visit the capital building of my state of residency. Molly was able to add another stamp in her “State Capital Passport” book.  The capital buildings are all running together, but this one seemed pretty nice, with lot’s of information and historic photo’s on the walls.  We were able to get in to see all the buildings too, since we were there on a Sunday.  For the afternoon and evening, we enjoyed a great visit and meal with a fantastic family there in Austin.  

While still “in town” in San Antonio, we hit up Sea World.  It was a bit of an off season time for them, but we were still able to see much of the park, and get a good feel for it.  I bet it’s hoping in the Summer, with ski shows and a water park area.  Molly got a caricature done as well. This visit also means that Diane, and Molly have now been to all three of the Sea World locations.  I haven’t been to Orlando, or it would have been for me too.

Once our “in town” tasks were done, we headed to the famous Texas Hill Country, and stayed at the Thousand Trails park called Medina Lake, in Lakehills, TX.  We were there for a few days, working, and enjoying the quiet of the hills.  We also had LOTS of activity with deer.  We even picked up a big bag of feed corn for them on one trip to the market.

The lake at Medina Lake is very low.  I read up on it a bit, and it seems to be a normal cycle of drought and flood.  A few more years, and they should be back to a full/too full lake again.  It’s already a nice place in the woods, but the lake would make it that much better.

Our next stop is Carlsbad, NM.

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On a work trip a few months ago, we held a Roadshow event at the Houston Space Center.  I made it a point then to try and work it out so that we could visit on our way back to California, and we were able to make that happen today.

We got there when the opened at 10am, and were there till after 3:30 in the afternoon.  We got to see all of the exhibits, take the big tram tour, and even see a couple of their demonstration shows.  They even have a moon rock that we got to touch!

On the tram tour I took a few months ago, we got to go see where the astronauts train for missions, such as ISS, the Space Shuttle, and the new Mars missions.  While that was closed today, we did get to go into a new area they just opened yesterday.  Our tour was the third to be able to go in and see the old mock-up test Shuttle that was used for EVERY Space Shuttle mission.  This mock-up allowed them to test all the equipment, from an engineering and functionality standpoint, prior to any launch.

There is also a museum of sorts, or collection of artifacts.  It was odd, in that you really had to look for it to find it, but it held a bunch of information and items from the space programs history.  I think Molly was impressed to hear about Skylab, and to see the real Saturn V rocket in “Rocket Park”.

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First stop, Duck Commander / Buck Commander HQ.  We started watching the show several months ago after I caught it on TV.  It is really entertaining, and everyone here enjoys the show.  So, when we saw some friends “check in” there via one of the social media apps, we looked to see where it was, and if we could drop by as well.  Turns out, for our trip from Georgia to Livingston, it only took us about 5 miles out of our way.  That made it a must see in our book! We assumed we were going to swing in on our way out of town, as we’d arrive before they closed Saturday, but we made some good time and got there with 30 minutes of shopping and picture taking in.

The parking lot was quite crowded, but we found a spot for the RV with the car in tow at a neighboring Car Wash.  The girls had a great time, but were unable to spot any of the “stars” of the show.  Still, a fun stop.  And, we got a couple souvenirs.

Bayou D’Arbonne Camping, provided a nice overnight stop.  For $20, and it was nice and quiet, with good hookups.  Neighbors are a mix of residents, long term campers, and even some in a tent.  Felt sorry for the tent people as it began to pour rain while we left.  The owners of the campground were pleasant to deal with.  We did have to call to reserve, but he was also kind enough to come over when we arrived and get us into the right site, and to make sure the hookups were all ok.  The name just rolls off the tongue doesn’t it?

Next stop, Livingston.

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After all the fun of New Years, a trip to Clearwater, and visiting cousins from Florida AND Indiana, it was time to move back to the RV, and to visit the cousins in their hometown of Fort Pierce, FL.

We had moved the RV to Fort Pierce so that some work could get done at Diane’s Uncle Ed’s shop.  They did a great job in getting it aligned, oil changes for engine and generator, some new suspension pieces for a level ride, a re-extended tailpipe, brake inspection and adjustment, and some new front tires.

If you find yourself in the Fort Pierce area, and need to have some mechanical work done on your RV, I would HIGHLY recommend you give Ed and the crew a call.  Yes, Diane is related to most of the employee’s, but, they do great work, and they are awesome people.  It’s Hickman’s Brake and Alignment Service.  They do all kinds of mechanical work.  Before the economic downturn, they did a lot of large vehicles, but now, more cars and RV’s, and the occasional big truck.  http://www.hickmansbrakealignment.com/

We stayed at a local RV park, called Road Runner Travel Resort.  They were very nice to deal with, and the park was really nice.  The residents were also very friendly and helpful.  This was even AFTER I took out one of their site marking poles, and crushed the top of a sewer inlet.  I discovered that it’s not a good idea for me to try and drive/park the RV while sick.  I’d started coming down with a fever and the flu earlier that day.  Made for a rough time parking. We still have the scars on the back of the RV, as the pole left several white stripes, and pulled off a plastic part that is now held on by tape.

While we were there, the family had a BIG birthday party for Ed and Gail’s new granddaughter, as well as for Ed.  I sat this one out, so as not to spread the flu, but Diane and Molly had a great time.

Molly and Rhiannon with Annabelle, the birthday girl.

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We have a timeshare condo (yeah, I know) and one of the places we can use our points is in Orlando.  They have two resorts here.  Based on the points we have, we could stay 2 weeks in a smaller unit, or 1 week in a larger one.  Since Megan was going to be with us till New Years Eve, we opted for the smaller one.  While it is small, it’s a bit larger than the RV (although sometimes, it didn’t feel like it). 🙂

So, we relocated the RV to Fort Pierce, and set it up for some maintenance at Diane’s Uncle’s shop.  I’ll post more on that later.  While I was there, my sister Chellie and her family were in the area, with her in-laws in Port St. Lucie.  I was able to stop by and see them for a few minutes, which was a surprise for my niece and nephew.

We also were not going to be able to leave Francie in the RV, nor take her with us to the condo, so we had to put her up in a pet hotel for the two weeks.  She wasn’t too happy when we picked her up, but she survived.

While at the condo, we had a side trip to the Tampa area, and went to the Clearwater Marine Aquarium.  We’ll have a separate post on that as well.  It was a great time, and Diane’s cousins and her daughters got to join all of us visiting with Winter, the dolphin there, from the movie Dolphin Tale.

Christmas was awesome.  We had a small tree, and had brought all the presents with us (LOT’S of trips in the car).  It was great to be all together, and to have Megan with us.  One of the big surprise presents was that Diane had acquired a new SodaStream machine, and several bottles of flavoring. I was truly surprised, and had (and continue to have) fun making soda with it.

Molly had spent quite a bit of time tracking Santa’s location, and was worried about getting to sleep.  She made use of this eye cover to help her out.

As New Years approached, we said goodbye to Megan, and put her on a plane EARLY on New Years Eve.  She was able to get an early flight so she’d be back in time to participate in some festivities back at home.  It was great to see her.  She’s grown up so much in the past year.

We also had my sister and her family over for New Years Eve.  They had left the in-laws, and were going to head back to Indiana, but first, a visit with us for New Years Eve.  The kids all got to hang out at the pool, we had a family New Years Eve Pizza dinner, and then all rang in the New Year.  The next day, we all had breakfast, and then they made the big trek back up to their home in Indiana.  It was great to see them again.  With the RV, we’ve been able to see them more than just once a year, like it was before.

We continued to stay at the condo till January 4th, then headed over to pick up the RV, and stay there in Fort Pierce for the weekend.

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Like many, we saw the movie Dolphin Tale, and really enjoyed it.  While in Florida, we wanted to get over and see “Winter”, the star of the movie.  The movie was filmed at her home, in Clearwater, Florida, at the Clearwater Marine Aquarium.  You can get more info here… http://www.seewinter.com/  They now have both the Aquarium, and a large building that holds some movie props, and lot’s of information about the true story, and filming.

We drove over and met Diane’s cousin Amity, and her two girls, at the Aquarium.  The drive was pretty easy, and Tampa is not far from Orlando.  The view’s in the Tampa area were amazing!  If we’re back in Florida in the future, we’ll have to try and spend some time on the gulf coast.

We started in the Aquarium, and had our pictures taken on the way in.  They asked for us to pose in some strange ways, standing in front of a green background.  So odd.  The pictures turned out pretty cool though.

Once inside, we got to see Winter, and some of the other animals that were in the movie.  The Aquarium is focused on rescuing animals, and you can see that the popularity of the movie has greatly impacted the number of guests that come there now.  It wasn’t built for so many, but they do a good job of making sure everyone has a good time, and learns a thing or two.

Everyone waiting for Winter to come out and show off.

We’d arranged for a big multi-room hotel spot for us in the area, so we spent as much time as possible at the Aquarium and at the annex area.  It was a great day with family.

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A couple years ago, Molly, Diane, and I were in Florida as part of a work trip.  While there, Diane and Molly got to go to Gatorland, and they loved it.  It may be hockey, or a bit of a tourist trap, but it is still a fun day none the less.  Since Megan and I were here with them, we decided we’d all go this time.

Needless to say, they have a LOT of Gators there at the Gatorland.  The surprising thing was how many birds they had there too.  A few were in cages, or with clipped wings, but the majority were just native birds, hanging out with the gator’s.  It seems the Gators had no interest in the birds.

We toured the grounds, watched them try to get the Gators to jump out of the water for some meat, watched one guy wrestle a Gator, and even bought some turkey dogs to feed the Gators.  A great time was had by all.  If you’re ever in Orlando, just head on down to Gaterville… er, Gatorland.  www.gatorland.com

We had some fun, and saw some weird things sitting on the Gators…

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Ok, so, our Florida visit consists of several parts.  We have a few weeks at Orlando Thousand Trails, then a couple weeks at our Orlando timeshare (with a side trip to Tampa), then a weekend in Fort Pierce, back to Orlando Thousand Trails, and then up to Live Oak for the Fulltime Families Rally.  So, we’ll start with the first 3 weeks at Orlando Thousand Trails.

We arrived at Orlando Thousand trails, in Clermont, FL, on December 2, and picked out a spot in the office.  It was a fabulous spot, C-21.  If you can choose it, you’ll be pleased.  Close to everything, and a big “yard” right out front.

The first “thing” up, was to let Molly know that on December 3, she and Diane would be heading up to New York to get their trip that Hurricane Sandy prevented back in November.  I dropped them off at the airport Monday, and they returned late Friday.  They had a GREAT time.  I’ll get Diane to create her own post on that trip, someday.

While they were away, I got to explore a bit of the RV park, get some pieces parts to repair a few odds and ends, and generally hang out.  The weather was AWESOME.  I spent a couple of my lunch hours and post-work time in the hammock.  After the couple of months in the cold fall weather of the east coast, it was quite nice to have 72 degree days, with a light breeze.

After their week away, the girls came back.  The next week, I flew up to Rochester, NY, to provide some training for a customer.  The next week, Megan arrived for a couple weeks of college time Christmas Vacation.  Once Megan arrived, the girls were off to explore, and to hit a couple of the theme parks.  They were able to spend a couple days at Universal Studios and see the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, and a special night at Disney’s Magic Kingdom.

On December 22, we moved into the Orlando timeshare.  We were putting the RV in storage, so all the fridge and freezer stuff had to come with us, as well as most of the other food, and lot’s of cloths, and stuff, and presents, and more stuff, and… The move out and back in was crazy.  But, after a failed attempt to store the RV in Orlando, we were able to get it over to Diane’s Uncle’s shop in Fort Pierce, and it was there for them to work on when they had time.

Orlando Thousand Trails…

We setup some Christmas decorations, and rented a golf cart for a week.

My close up pictures did not turn out well, but there were plenty of these birds (Sand Hill Crane’s I believe) walking about.  Some tortoises as well.

I heard a loud “whooshing” sound early one morning, and found there were a few hot-air balloons flying over.

I saw this little guy wandering in the middle of the road while I was out for a bike ride.  Picked him up, and put him in one of the nests that was nearby.  Hopefully it was the right one.

We also had a great time re-visiting with the Pickett’s that we’d first met in California, and then saw again in Indiana.  We also got to meet several other families, and Molly was not lacking for people to hang out with here.

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On our way from Cumming to Orlando, we made a weekend stop in Newnan, GA, to visit with some other Fulltime Family friends.  The Garrisons, originally from Newnan, have come off the road so we got to see them.  We also got to see the McClosky’s, who we first met in Menifee, CA.  And, we finally met the Lundy’s!  We’d been following their blog for some time before we went on the road, and Margie was very helpful with input on Internet options, as well as with getting our Thousand Trails membership.

The Pine Lakes RV Park (New name.  Formerly Pine Acres Mobile Home Park) was challenging to work with and get a reservation.  I actually made all our reservations and site choice through the McClosky’s.  It was mildly funny.  The park its self was fine.  Good power, water, sewer hookups, and a level site.  There’s a train nearby, but there’s always a train nearby the RV Parks it seems.

We had a GREAT time visiting with our old friends, and meeting the Lundy’s.  I was also able to get the antennae for TV reception fixed, repair a loose panel on the side of the RV, and replace a hose that had gone bad.

On Sunday, we headed out early, and made our way to Orlando, FL.

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