Moving Day to Orlando TT ( TTO )

Spent the morning getting ready to leave. We only have a good hour to go so not as big of a rush as normal. Although people always want to talk to you when you're packing up, that always slows you down some.

Arrived at Orlando Thousand Trails just after 1 we were number 10 on the list until we got to the staging area there is no one else in front of us. Everyone in golf carts ready to take you to your site. And when I saw who we had, I said I know you they were from Hershey, and the one lady told the other lady to give us a really good site. Which she did, was a large back in site on a  less traveled area of the park. We got set up, I prepared our premade lunch that we did yesterday before we left,  grilled turkey burgers, and the chicken noodle soup I made,  later we took a ride on our bike. The new folding ones, we would like to sell while we are here. Talked  to a couple on our ride that had the cutest tiniest little puppy running around in a fenced area. Turned out they were from New York and new of our friends with the Costanza sausage, Sue and Tony.

What a very beautiful first day here. Later I made Unfried Chicken and had the roasted vegetables and I made some zucchini fries in the air fryer for dinner.

Saturday January 25, 2020

Last night I couldn't sleep very well, ended up coming downstairs laying on the sofa about 4 hours. Around 6 a.m. I went to bed, slept a few more hours when I get up around 8:30 closer to 9 I wanted to do the site yard sale to sell my bags I make. So I had a few cups of coffee got dressed Jim and I walked up to the Recreation  Center there's only a few people up there selling.

So we decided to walk back and just sell it at our site. Had a nice talk with our neighbors across the road that had things out to self. The lady from Hershey area came over and bought some of my water bottle holders, we have the bikes down to sell some lady test drove it, I imagine we'll sell them before we leave, I hope. 

The site they put us in used to be a permanent site but the flower beds have not been kept up for a while. One has a beautiful cactus in that's blooming. So I got my gloves out and was working on them today, took a before picture when I finish I'll take an after picture and post them both.

Jim made a sandwich for lunch I had some roasted vegetables, later then we went for a walk. Ended up talking to some people in a pickup truck, turned out they were from Pennsylvania, small world. Had a nice walk went down to the lake.

 Then later for dinner I make quesadillas out on the grill what a beautiful blue sky Cloud free awesome day.

Eisenhower Recreation Center

This morning I made protein pancakes and eggs  for breakfast. We left after lunch, I made a taco salad, then went to LazyDays Jim was still looking for a water pressure regulator, we found a good one he was looking for, $100 one. Then we went to the Eisenhower Recreation Center.

There was a yoga class letting out when we arrive .  A Gathering Place,  a lot of activities go on there,  beautiful building an interior. Then we went to Publix, got a couple bags of wood when we went back to the FW. We grilled some tuna steaks outside Jim also watched hockey.

Sunday January 18, 2020

Today was a colder day and cold night. We stayed home all day I made steel cut oatmeal in the IP. I did four loads of laundry throughout the day and we binge-watched Orange is the New Black a lot.

Monday January 20, 2020

Today we wanted to go look at some things we seen during the trolley tour in

Brownwood. We went to Finney the newest one built they just started when we were here two years ago. When we were driving around  some of the neighborhoods , we happen to see an open house .  We went

in  and looked around , it was a very lovely lady  selling the house herself .  Two bedroom two bath  oh, it was very beautiful . We went and walked on the boardwalk they have through a marshy area. They have a farm-to-table restaurant they told us about. And there was produce grown in a hydroponic Greenhouse. So I  wanted to eat a big plate of roasted vegetables. So we went to the restaurant, was very full, half an hour wait, we looked at the menu online earlier, they had a pretty typical nice menu, but not what I was thinking it would be when they refer to it as farm-to-table.

 So we drove around found the Mexican restaurant we went to it was quite good.

Jim wasn't feeling too well today. Later we went to a potluck they were having here at the CG. It was very good we talked to some Canadian people there there were full-time with three kids. When we got back to the FW Jim was really not feeling well then.

Tuesday  January 21, 2020

Jim was not feeling well today. We stayed home all day I made him chicken noodle soup in the IP. And we watched a lot of Orange Is the New Black.

Wednesday January 22, 2020

Today we had an appointment in Brownwood to go look at a couple houses.

And ride a golf cart and get a lesson on driving them and going under the tunnels. After that we went to Flippers Pizza it was

really good pizzas made to order and we drove around some of the houses.

We walked in a beautiful Park and then stopped at Walmart, I made an appointment for tomorrow to get my nails done  place was next to Publix . Then we went to Russell Stover's Candy on the way home, only got a few things. Then we

went home and I roasted some vegetables in the oven well Jim grilled a couple of Costanza Texas hot dogs and had leftover chicken noodle soup for dinner.

Thursday January 23, 2020

After breakfast we went to get my nails done at 12:30 when we were finished we went for a little Drive had lunch at the Oakwood Smokehouse. While I was doing that Jim got fuel went to wash the truck but every place was really full, he got beer and dropped off four  letters I had written. When we got home he grilled some chicken and turkey burgers for tomorrow travel day, going to Orlando TT for 2 weeks.  I made some steel cut oatmeal. Had some leftover pizza and grilled vegetables for dinner.

Tampa RV Show, Day #1

Woke up early ish to head to the RV show. Never leave as early as we wanted to. We left around 915. That's when we wanted to get there. Before we left I pre-cook a pack of turkey burger with taco seasoning for tacos and taco salad later, and chopped up two tomatoes, for tonight.   

 We are meeting our friends from Rochester , Sue and Tony that we met at Lazydays Tampa 2 years ago. Once we got close the traffic was really heavy. The CG is about 72 miles away, took a good hour, really just straight up the highway. When we arrived it took us a long time to find Sue and Tony, they had their small dog Tyson with them too. We walked around for a long time at the end of the day Sue said her step counter was over 10,000 steps, I'm sure we did the same. Jim was starving, we found a very light lunch. Sue and Tony bought a whole bunch of stuff and took it out to their car. We didn't buy that much just something I was looking at every year we go, there grip sticks.  There's a picture of them and in use once I got home.

The show is huge Jim and I feel it is larger than Hershey RV show. On the way out to leave we said hi to Mike and Mandy, ran into them walking back to the truck. We left around 5:30, wanted to be home before dark, that didn't happen either. Stays daylight till just after 6 here.

So we got close to home we were pretty hungry,  so we went over to The Villages. We went into Cody's Original Roadhouse

restaurant Always wanted to try it. Even though I had pre-made food for dinner ready at home, that's no fun. They had a DJ, he was taking requests, He actually played a Post Malone song which I thought was pretty hip for The Villages, who knew. Jim didn't like it. He played alot of country too. After dinner we went over to the live music for a little bit it was pretty full people were dancing very festive.

Took  a few pictures. Then we went home showered and relaxed.

Thursday January 16, 2020 

After breakfast and lunch we watch TV and relaxed at home, we went to get fuel. Then we went to the Brownwood sales office and did a trolley tour of Brownwood. Afterwards we set an appointment for next Wednesday to view a few homes and ride a golf cart tour and get lessons on the usage of the tunnels. We got a lot of ideas on places to go and how to get there.

There's wonderful  shopping all around the center Square, I found a birthday gift  for my youngest granddaughter and a pair of earrings I liked . Then we went to eat at TooJay's deli. Had a wonderful early dinner actually took a picture, but not of dessert, we shared a piece of coconut cake. 

When we came out the sun was just setting and what beautiful pictures we took.

After that we walked over to the nightly music entertainment. They were playing Latino music, Jim wasn't a fan, we went back to the truck and went home for the rest of the evening beautiful day the weather this week has been about 86 everyday beautiful sunny skies.

Friday January 17, 2020 RV Show day  #2

This morning we got up early for RV Show day number two. In Tampa they give you a second pair of tickets for another day. Wish they would do that at the Hershey Pennsylvania RV show. So we decided to go, it's hard to see everything in one day. Jim got up at 6:30 I got up a quarter of 7 we showered had a good breakfast I packed a lunch to eat in the truck later. We left just after 8. 

The traffic was a lot better, as we drove I worked on the blog,  and before I knew it we were there. We walked right in and didn't have to wait at the gate, no line today. I found a lipstick I wanted, sounds funny for an RV show. Jim found some seasoning to grill with, called Mike's seasoning. We looked at other RV we didn't get a chance to the day before, we only shared an ice cream cone went to the truck and had our lunch before 1, we left at 3 in the afternoon, traffic was pretty heavy on the way home. Still daylight though this time, we got home put everything away took some things out of the freezer. Then I heated  it up my ingredients I prepped for tacos,  watch TV and relax the rest of the evening.

3 Flags TT, Wildwood, Florida

Arrived at 3 Flags our first Thousand Trails since we arrived in Florida. Jim set up our site very nicely. We have a great spot all the way in the back very private, one of the larger sites. We have a cement block pad but we backed up past it to have more shade. Out the back window it looks like a jungle. We grilled some burgers for lunch. And I trying to change the DirectTV to our local channels did not work that will be a continuing Saga.

 Saturday January 11th 

 I ate breakfast here we stopped at the family center and Jim had breakfast biscuits with sausage gravy. We talked to a few people about our DirecTV problems. Before we left he tried on the computer and his phone. Then he called them we had to leave so we still don't have it. We went to The Villages they have a farmers market from 9 to noon. It is in Brownwood. We went to an awesome Bakery Stand they have which sells out early has really long lines got a few treats there. I bought strawberries two really good oranges two tomatoes there is a guy selling homemade pierogies which we bought 6 for $12. Have a picture of everything we bought and Jim's purchase in the background. Then we stopped at Walmart on the way home to get his pills. We came home fried some catfish outside on my induction burner with my cast iron frying pan, hush puppies some onion rings and the rest of the macaroni and cheese I had made that was Frozen. We ate outside it was a wonderful early dinner and lovely evening. Later I tried calling DirectTV again, because I had the patience. I got to talk to a guy named Brian within 15 minutes he had all our local channels for us. I told him he needed to go train everyone that I talked to previously they couldn't do it. He said oh you flatter me and he gave me his phone number so I can call him again in April when we go back to PA to change it back.

Sunday January 12th 

 

We stayed home all day went for a walk after lunch we grilled went into the pool we grilled dinner again which was the pierogies we bought at the Farmers Market and the awesome kabasi we got from our friends that we met in Florida the Costanza's it's fabulous sausage. Then we went for another walk, I did about five loads of laundry throughout the day was a wonderful evening.

Monday January 13th 

After lunch I made burrito bowls we went to Camping World bought a new chair and almost bought a Traeger small portable smoker. They didn't have all the pieces to it  Then we stopped at Publix for Wood, water, beer and ribs, that tells  you how our night went. Came home and Grilled the ribs which was enough for three meals, Jim made a campfire and sat out most of the night to watch his hockey game.

Tuesday January 14th

We stayed home the whole day after lunch we had leftover ribs we went for a walk came back vacuumed sat outside a lot I planted my flowers I bought at The Villages watch a movie had a wonderful relaxing evening I made my version of enchiladas.

Gainesville, Starke, KOA,Jan. 6 to 9

Arrived at KOA, really is a nice CG. We were starving, so you went to Subway for a quick bite. Had a few errands to run, went to Ace Hardware for a pressure regulator valve, they didn't have one so we went to Tractor Supply, found a produce stand that was selling fresh strawberries. Walked through the entrance at the campground to a little store called Save-A-Lot found a couple things. Nice relaxing evening.

 On Tuesday the 7th we went to Gainesville to see  Cecile. Got to see her lovely condo, then we met her son Matthew and had lunch at a wonderful barbecue place, Adams Rib Co.  Then we walked the Chua Trail and Alachua Sink. A wildlife  Water Management  Recreation Area . We saw a lot of birds and a few alligators laying along the bank at the water's edge. We were home way before dark,  it's been daylight till almost 6, had a very light dinner and enjoyable evening.

Wednesday January 8th Cecile picked me up, she got to see the fifth wheel then we went shopping, looking for a cabinet for shoes in the RV, that doesn't look like it's for shoes. Then we had lunch at Sonny's really nice barbecue place. Jim stayed home did some chores he grilled some chicken for later and fixed my vacuum cleaner, and some trim on the one slide. Another beautiful day. 

Thursday January 9th Thomas's birthday.

We met Cecile at Ichetucknee, About an hour away for both of us, they have a park there where you can rent a canoe and float down the river. She was in a kayak it was so beautiful along the water. Turtles everywhere, saw a deer run. Alot of beautiful birds. When we reached the end we were picked up and taken back to our original starting point, we ate a lunch I packed at a picnic table with a wonderful view of the water, we said our goodbyes had an hour drive back to the RV I was really sleepy and actually fell asleep, which I never do. Heated up some pre-made food I had froze for dinner and had a wonderful evening tomorrow we head off to our first Thousand Trails in Florida.