The end of an era

 It is well over a year since I have written a blog post.  While we were spending time at the Skinny Winnie rally in Tallahassee, Fl we started getting information about the virus that would become a pandemic.  As we heard more, everyone at the rally started to think about ways to protect ourselves.   We continued on with the rally and had a good time.

Once we returned home it was all about the virus and how to deal with it.  We ended up spending most of the following year at home.  During this period, we had to deal with a number of issues with the motorhome.  After considerable discussion, we came to the conclusion that it might be time to find something else to enjoy.  So, after 15 years of full and part time traveling in a motorhome, the Winnebago View has been sold and we start a new period of life without an RV.

Over the last 40 years we have had four motorhomes:

The first one was a very used 21ft 1978 Coachman that took us out west.  We did not have it long due to its poor condition.  

The second one was a new 27 ft 1988 Tioga Arrow which was a great coach to travel with the family without all the current high tech stuff, it performed very well with very little problems.  There have been times I wished I still had it!  We put 35K miles on that RV.  Then we stopped Rving for a long period and became sailors.

In 2006 we decided to go full time traveling in a motorhome.  We choose a Winnebago Meridian 40ft. Our journey lasted until 2012.  It was a great time.  We gave up full timing to spend time with our two grandchildren and their parents who were living in FL.  We traveled 50K miles in this motorhome.

In 2012 we traded the Meridian for a Winnebago View since we did not loose the urge to travel in an RV and bought a home near the kids.  We put 75K miles on it as we drove around the country and ventured into the Maritime Provinces of Canada.

 

Our first new style of travel will be a trip to Iceland. 

Alfred Maclay Gardens State Park and Tally Rally

11-15 March

Heading south from the COE park, we stopped at the Alfred Maclay Gardens State Park.  In 1923 Alfred Maclay purchased several properties that created a 3760-acre estate he called Killearn after his ancestral village in Scotland.  The gardens were continuously improved until his death in 1944.  In 1953, his wife donated the gardens portion of the estate to the state of Florida.   Their home on the property is open to the public. 

The primary destination of this trip was the “Skinny Winnie” rally at the Tallahassee fairgrounds. This was our fourth rally we have attended with this group.  There were 57 rigs at this event.  We had a good time, and everyone worked at having some social distancing as it was becoming very obvious that the virus was becoming a big threat.  We were having such a good time that we really did not take many pictures.

It seems pretty clear that this was our last trip for an unknown length of time until this virus is brought under control.  The group has kept in touch and as of today no one at the rally has become ill.  We have been staying home since we returned and plan to stay here until further notice.  Everyone stay safe!

East bank “Manor” COE park

March 10, 2020

Before heading to the Skinny Winnie rally … AKA Tally rally at the North Florida Fairgrounds in Tallahassee FL, we spent two nights at the East Bank COE park in Bainbridge, GA.  It was very hard to find a camp spot anywhere.  We finally found a site in this COE  park.  It proved to be one of the best COE parks we have stayed in.

We had a beautiful spot on the water with a view of the dam and great sunsets.  Very relaxing and quiet. 

First day

Second day

Bellingrath Gardens and Home

Feb 28^th, 2020

It was always on our bucket list to visit these gardens.  Since we were very close and the right time of the year, we decided to go.  The gardens are located just south of Mobile, AL.  The fastest and fun way to get there was to take the ferry across from Fort Morgan to Daphne Island. 

The gardens were started by Walter Bellingrath and his wife Bessie.  He was one of the first Coca-Cola bottlers in the Southeast.   The land was originally used by the family as a fishing camp.  They later decided to create the gardens and built the mansion on the property where they lived permanently.  The gardens opened to the public in 1932.

This link  gives a detailed history of the park and home.  We explored both the home and gardens.

The house:

The gardens:

The Oriental gardens

The boardwalk

Azaleas and Camellias