Activities in Florida Nov- Dec 2013: Bette & Dad

Places & Adventures:
* Christmas Rockettes Show -Eric & Anne went with us -- A fabulous show
* Juno Beach, Riviera Beach, Hollywood Beach -- 3 beautiful days to sit & relax

* live music in eve at City Park- outside arena lovely 75 degrees
* shooting range- Eric gave us shooting lessons- we had target practice with Eric's 3 guns he uses for work. 2 hand guns & a shot gun
 * Dad rode along with Eric while he was on duty, he watched Eric and another detective arrest one person for possession of drugs, and another situation where a K9 was brought in to search the car - 4 people were arrested 

* several evenings playing cards with Peg, Mike, Garrett, Eric & his friend Anne

 
 * Weekend at
Logan & Emily's near Orlando. Spent a day at SeaWorld, & played cards  (of course)

 

* Spent a few hours at The Isle Casino plus, 5 Star Bingo was fun you have computer game cards & paper game cards

* Loggerhead Mariana -- attended a talk about Green Turtles & looked at the turtles on display; they had been rescued










* Enjoyed an afternoon at the West Palm Zoo

 * Sat outside & enjoyed the sunshine -- Bette jumped in Eric's pool one day. Temperatures during the day: 78- 85 degrees; with only a couple of cloudy /rainy days

 * 2 hour cruise on the intercostal waters in the eve. with Peg, Mike, Eric & Anne -- beautiful and relaxing

* saw a couple movies: "Last Vegas" ,    "Captain Phillips"

* Lunch on Singer Island & watched the surf

* Dad survived Costco without getting run over by a shopping cart

 


 * Explored Loxahatchee Nature Center

 * Celebrated Dad's 88th Birthday









* Enjoyed several good / excellent restaurants:  Carrabbas, Lindenburgers, 2 Drunken Goats, Friendlies, Deck 84, Juno Beach Cafe, Food Shack, Park Ave BBQ, 
Plus:: Moon Cricket Grill & 5 Rivers BBQ (in Orlando with Logan, Emily, Peg)

Nov 2013 travels from Iowa to Florida with my Dad

Nov 17, 2013-Sun:::: my Dad, (Jerry) & I took off at 0900 & stopped to see my Dad's sister, Carm who is 97.We had a nice visit & headed south towards Kansas City. Besides the "Welcome to Missouri" sign, there is a creek sign "Po Cat creek"...There are a couple definitions  for Po Cat- check that out in Bing or Google!!!    It was realllly windy so I was ready to call it a day around 5 PM ... I found a cute place in Blackwater, 3 miles off the interstate, but when we arrived this small town looked like a ghost town.... So we headed down the interstate for another 20 miles & found a Holiday Inn Express.  Arby's treated us with a meal, the hotel provided the hot tub & a movie = a good recipe for a good night sleep.....after our 394 mile drive :)
 

Nov 18, 2013 - Monday:: Boonville is in the middle of Missouri, and the drive through Missouri was uneventful - we were thankful for the blue sky, and for the fact that we did Not leave one day earlier, as the high winds from yesterday brought multiple tornados through the Midwest, one hit near St. Louis. One tornado wiped out a town in Indiana. Dad & I talked about times, years ago when we all came to see the Cardinals play baseball- there were several trips! The latest trip for Dad, Bob (brother) & Robbie (nephew), was game 6 of the 2011 World Series - if you are a Cardinal Fan, you will remember that the Cards won in the 11th inning ( & that was the night I was listening to the recap of the game, comming home from an evening meeting, I crossed the fog line & was stopped by a cop- I did not get a ticket, but was asked multiple questions & had to get out of the car & perform the 'sobriety test' -- now that was an interesting experience !)  Dad wanted to drive, so when we were several miles East of St Louis  (I-70 turned into I-64) and we are in Illinois, Dad drive for 2 hours. We headed south on I-57, then I-24 into Kentucky. I was amazed at all the billboards along the way (in S. Dakota,  the main sign was for Wall Drug -- yes it's still there!!). I called ahead & booked us a room at The Best Western on Music Row in Nashville. We logged in at 448 miles. I highly  recommend this hotel - reasonable price & one block from Music Row. We ate at The Tin Roof  - they only have music Thur- Sat.  The food was good, my Margaretta was good , just very different. We walked up the street & found an Irish Pub with a live band, which was fabulous!  Amateur musicians played or sang with the band, & there was a "scout" there. Most of the singers were really good. ( no cover charge ). Of course the music was all country (my kind of music) - Dad enjoyed this also. By 1000 PM we decided to walk back to the hotel. The temp was around 50. ( cooler then 
normal).
Nov 19, 2013 - Tuesday ::  we look a little detour to S. Carolina to visit my first cousin Jake Ohlinger & his wife Kathy.  The trip to Greenville - 352 miles - was via the beautiful Smokey Mountains. We had a lovely visit with Jake & Kathy, played cards (of course) and had a peaceful sleep. Kathy found photos when Mom & Dad visited in Feb1988 with Uncle Clem & Aunt Micky (I'll email there to my 
brothers & sisters when I get a chance -- it's great seeing photos of Mom & Dad so young!)

Nov 20, 2013 - Wednesday :: We followed the GPS Lady & took the interstates towards Augusta Georgia / Savannah Georgia. The trees / grass became greener, started seeing palm trees. The temps were in the low 60's & partly cloudy. When we rolled into Florida ( the sunshine state), the rains started--  ironic!!!!  We stopped in Flagler Beach (20 miles north of Daytona - a sleepy town, with red sand on the beach). This was a 495 mile day. It was still light enough to see the ocean when we arrived at the Fisherman's Nest Restaurant.  I love the ocean!! After eating we drove around for a few minutes; then want to a Mexican restaurant where were 2 comedians -- the first one, Adam was funny, but the second guy, not so much.


Nov 21, 2013 - Thursday :: we had a nice breakfast at the hotel, and started our last miles to Eric's... It continued to rain off & on, and traffic was light so our last 203 miles was easy. We stopped at Steak & Shake for lunch; and rolled into Eric's driveway around 3:30PM. And we were ready to relax: 

 We meet Peg (sister), Mike (brother-in-law), Garrett (nephew), and their friend Steve for dinner at The Outback.  A good end to a fabulous road trip!!  --  Picture at Eric's home -- Garrett, Peg, Mike, Eric, Anne (Eric's Sweetheart), Dad, Bette

Nov 2013--Journey to Iowa from Seattle

Day 1: Nov  5th -- journey to Iowa --  I jumped into our new F150.
( thanks Steve for helping me pack the truck! ), and drove from Seattle to Kellogg Idaho 344 miles. I called Gary & Renee & said "Hi" as I drove past the Yakima exit. A little bit of rain, snow on the evergreen trees, lunch in Spokane - thanks to Subway, fabulous dinner thanks to Noah's restaurant in the beautiful mountains of Kellogg.

Day  2: Nov 6 th --- journey to Iowa --- The Black Knight (AKA- F150) brought me safely to Billings Montana. Drove 461 miles. If you have not traveled across Montana when there is snow on the mountain tops, I highly recommend it!!  A few miles outside of Kellogg, I saw a deer -she was calmly standing by the side of the road-- the Black Knight scared her & she disappeared into the Forrest.  I was amazed at every turn how beautiful Montana is!! Snow-topped mountains, open valleys, scattered clouds, cows, hay bails ( no city stuff here) .....traffic was light so the open road was sweet.....thanks to the Hilton in Billings I enjoyed a relaxing eve & peaceful sleep..


 Day 3: Nov 7 th ---- journey to Iowa --- onward through Wyoming...Signs that indicate that you are in cowboy country~~~~ "Crazy Women Creek". "Dead Horse Creek". " Wild Horse Creek" .I saw a Cowboy herding cattle near Sheridan.  The mountain range south of this valley was fabulous. Lunch in Sundance (I was looking for a 'cowboy saloon' but all that was open was Subway).  South Dakota signs--  "Pleasant Planes Drive", "I -90 closed if light flashing" , " Do not crowd the Plow" !!  There was still snow in the fields from the massive October snow storm that killed 100,000 cattle. I put in 576 miles today -- enjoyed multiple Rock& Roll songs!! Slept in Chamberlain, South Dakota -- crashed would be more accurate!

Day 4: Nov 8th --- journey to Iowa -- on the road by 0730 after breakfast at my American hotel where I stayed. An easy drive to Sioux City (it was very windy, and the Black Knight handled well) - stopped & had the truck washed, lunch at Chili's, filled the Black Knight ($2.77 per gallon!), then headed to my Dad's house - arriving around 3:30 PM for a total of 308 miles.  I was happy to have arrived and will spend a week here in Iowa before heading to Florida with my Dad. I visited Jacob (Grandson #1) in Lincoln Nebr, and Zane (Grandson #2) hung out with me for several days...

Planning for retirement

  Beginning of Retirement.....

Bette & Steve

 Bette retires Nov. 1, 2013 - Leaving her co-workers --- REALLY tough!! She worked with some of the most compassionate and Wonderful people in the universe!!!!! Steve & Bette will be traveling and posting their travels on this BLOG -- and we will be back in the Seattle area during the summer months; YET I (Bette) will be missing my dear girlfriends in Washington State.... :( So coming back for the summer will be one long celebration and reunion of friends!!

Current Plans:  

Nov 5, 2013: Bette drives to Iowa, picks up her Dad and drives to Florida - near West Palm Beach/ Fort Lauderdale to be with son Eric & Bette's sister, Peg & family live a couple miles from Eric. ETA: A few days before Thanksgiving. The Grandsons, Jacob (22) and Zane (12) will join us for Christmas.

Jan 5 - 25th 2014: Bette/Steve; John(Steve's Dad)/Linda(Step-Mom); Ann (Steve's sister)/ Ron (Ann's friend) will be on a cruise through the Panama Canal. Arriving in San Diego- then we will fly to Seattle. 

Jan 26- March 26th 2014 - Bette/Steve will be in the Seattle area -- Steve will retire no later then March 21st

March 27 - April 1 2014 -- In Kona with friends Nancy/Dave & Chris/Bob. Then Bette & Steve will fly to Florida and hang out with Eric & Peg/Mike.