Florida Trip 2024

It's the middle of February 2024 and I am ready to "get out of town"!!!

I will be driving to Florida by way of some of my "Grandchildren" and seeing some of the "Greats".

First I will be going to visit Krista and Bart in Maryland, then on to Quantico Marine base where I will see Grandson Ben promoted to Lt. Colonel in the US Marine Corp along with his wife Stephanie. In both of these stops I will get to see some of the best Great Grandchildren in the world!! Next comes Jake and Audrey in Raleigh North Carolina. Jake is my youngest grandson and given some more time, I expect they too will appear someday with a great kid or kids.

I hope to visit friends along the way, Fayetteville NC, Myrtle Beach SC, Charleston SC, St. Augustine FL and as yet unplanned parts of Florida.

    February 8     

Jim and Dan accompany Krista and Maike to Pre K in Montgomery Village Md. 

Maike and Kira watching Cocomelon

February 9

Grandson Ben thanking the USMC staff and family and friends after just being promoted to Lt.Colonel.

It was a memorable service and I was delighted to be there.

Ben's battalion symbol

Ben and his family 

Ben and Stephanie's family The Bachs

Ben's Family kids pinned on his silver Oak leaves. 

McKenna, Brayden and Flynn

Someone gave this mirror to Ben as a remembrance. 

McKenna and Brayden 💓- Flynn was running around with other kids!😄

February 10

I was able to spend a couple nights with Jake and Audrey. I got a tour of the area as well as the office where Audrey works. 

They drove by their new home so I could see it. It won't close till March

I then went to church with them and packed up to continue my trip. I suspect I was the oldest person in the church for that service. Since the "kids" were going to a Super Bowl Party I continued my trip after a brief stop at their home again.

February 11

My next stop was just about 40 miles away in Apex to visit Don and Gloria Lowe. They were long time friends from church in Newark Valley. Also there was son Terry who was a really good friend of Rick's, and Granddaughter Emile Caslin and her fiancé Matt. (May4th ladies who want to know :) )

February 12

I proceeded to Fayetteville NC for overnight and had breakfast with met Sheldon and Kay MacDonald who  I worked with for 30 years and subsequent to our retirement we met for lunch monthly until Covid hit and we changed to zoom. Now we continue that the first Wednesday of the month. We started with 6 but are down to 4 now. I then proceeded to Myrtle Beach where I  ate at Chuck's Steakhouse and stayed overnight. Chuck Rolls was a founder and a former Binghamton Central High School basketball star who scored 100 points in one game and was not 6 feet tall.

February 13

I met with Jim and Kate Tuttle for breakfast in Myrtle Beach and saw their lovely home in a gated community, 3 bedrooms and a huge porch that overlooks the inland waterway. We had a nice visit but I forgot to get a picture of us. Rick and Jo sent me this picture of them anyway. This is a better one anyway.

 

             I then drove on to Charleston S.C. where I stayed overnight.

 

Fort Sumter is on an island in Charleston Bay, A ferry boat takes you out to it, Behind me is the bridge over the bay,

It was impressive to tour the fort. Very helpful in that there are 4 levels and they have elevators to take visitors that can't do stairs. 

For dinner I went to Lewis BBQ recommended by the Tuttles. It is very busy and very good, Unusual in that you stand in line while one of 3 or 4 servers take your order and assemble it while you stand there. I had prime Brisket with onions and a side of green pepper corn bread.

February 14 

Travel from Charleston to Brunswick Ga. via Savanna Ga. Stayed overnight on points, washed clothes.

February 15

The gates that are at the end of St. George St in St. Augustine.

The street is filled with Restaurants, gift and souvenirs. Today it is filled with people, perhaps because it is a 3 day weekend coming. Lots of tour groups of school kids

650 year old "live oak" named the Old Senator 

86 year old "not so live" bloke in front of a nice chain restaurant Jen and Mark enjoy in Longboat Key

Cool rental 3 wheel "car" 

I am staying in a motel just across the road from our old condo at Sea Winds.

I went for dinner at a restaurant humbly named "World Famous Oasis". What I had was good,7 shrimp on a bed of chopped peppers, onions and mushroom and grits.

February 16

I made contact with Roger Minard who lived in Old Forge and attended the same church. 

We had a lot of good times with He and Linda along with the Parsons and Campbells

We had breakfast at a southern chain called KeKe's. They only are open for Breakfast and lunch.

It was nice but overpriced I thought. It's hours are apparently unique. At home we call them Greek Diners .After breakfast I left for Orlando

 

On the way to Disney Springs I came across a Buc-ee's. It is a gas station like no other. 100 pumps and a store as big as a Walmart carrying all sorts of memorabilia, clothing with Buc-ee (He is a Beaver I think) pictured,  a bakery, butcher shop various offering of food and snacks and drinks. Its is just off I95 in a plaza with a Cosco. (I later came across 2 others on my trip.)

Once I got to Disney Springs I was able to park in a huge 5 floor garage and walk into the complex of shops, restaurants and displays. It is free parking and very interesting place.

One of the displays in front of the Lego store

There is an amphitheater where presentations are made. This was a high school choir from Pennsylvania

Bread pudding at an Irish restaurant named Ragland Road. I couldn't finish it. I forgot to take a picture of my Cider pork belly, red cabbage, apple slices and pepper sauce.

A Paddlewheel restaurant

The weather has been rainy and cold for Florida, I crashed in my room in Kissimmee all day except to go out for a couple meals. (Saturday 2/17) Surprisingly I had no problem resting and watching the final wrap_up of Seinfeld on Netflix on with phone plus the movie Elvis on HBO in the room also.

February 18

On Sunday I watched FBCJC on line and drove to Tampa, a short but hazard filled drive down US I 4.

I found an Italian Pizza place called Grimaldi's and had a Calzone that was very good. There are good Italian Restaurants beside Nick's and other Endicott area places.

Of course you all, except for misguided Red Soxes and  Guardian fans, will recognize the stadium above.

Hopefully the rain will stop overnight and I will see some practice tomorrow. Games don't start for a week.

February 19

Before anyone was at the ball field I drove across the 8 mile bridge to St. Petersburg to visit a fort.

It is not the typical fort I have seen but rather a fortification with batteries of cannons to protect the 

inland communities. The military that manned it lived in wooden homes adjacent. 

These stairs lead to the top which is covered with Natural growth and one can walk along the top

over the storage location for the ammunition. 

View from the walkway above the stairs. The walkway is above all the "fort" and has a ramp

at the opposite end leading to ground level. 

Returning across Tampa Bay bridge I watched some pitchers and catchers being coached as well as  batting practice for several. 

Fans were lined up by the fence in left field getting autographs. I was a day early.

I was informed that Tuesday would be a full team workout day. It was still fun. 

(February 20)

Tuesday was a driving day to Lake City in the northern central part of Florida.

Wednesday I drove to Pigeon Forge TN. The scenery was very interesting. As I drove into Georgia it seemed that the terrain felt very much like NY.but s I went the hills began to look more pointed that at home and soon I was in the Smokey Mountains and the National Park

This is overlooking Gatlinburg TN

.

There are many hills I could see that were peaked like this one.

Lots of rushing water along the way. There was some snow at the higher elevations .

Logging was very big in this area. This interesting marker was in front of the next picture.

Pictures do not do justice to the grandeur of these mountains.

This is the kind of traffic I enjoy. 30 miles of it.

February 21

In Pigeon Forge I went to a Dolly Parton Stampede Show 

They had Longhorns and Bison in the show as well as lots of horses.

I did a terrible job at getting pictures and videos. A chicken dinner was included which was messy but good.

This Ferris Wheel was included with my Hotel price.

Thursday 2/22/2024

In checking out of the motel the hotel manager asked what my plans were. I told him I was driving to Winchester about half way home. He asked where home was and I told him "near Binghamton".His mouth dropped and said "look at that business card on the desk" Vincent Brozetti. He went to Maine Endwell and his grandfather started the pizzeria in 1949. We had a great discussion and one of his Tennessee friends was standing there and we extolled the virtues of Brozetti pizza and explained Spiedies to the gentleman. Small world

I left Pigeon Forge and headed for Winchester Va. a distance of about 400 miles.

I went into the Welcome Center to "Natural Bridge"

After sharing with her the story of how Barb and I came there in 1958 on our honeymoon she offered me a free pass and told me I could drive my car down to the level where the creek

that carved it out is located. 

They still do a lighting program and tell the history during warmer weather.

  US Route 11 still drives over the top.

Notice the benches for people to enjoy the light show on the walls of the bridge.

A light show was done when we were here in 1958

There are more benches further down the path out of sight.

Friday February 23

My last night was in Winchester Va at a Country Inn. I got away early and arrived home at Noon.

I was on the road 17 days, drove 3075 miles and crossed 9 States. I did not get to Miami as I planned . I was tired of busy traffic and had nothing special I was aware of to see in Miami. Glad to get home 

One final shot to ease my conscience. I cannot tell a lie.