Happy Thanksgiving

  We would like to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving. This is our first holiday away from friends, family, and former co-workers. Even though we are in Tampa, FL the weather the last few days has felt more like fall in Pennsylvania so today had more of a homey feel. The temperature got down into the forties last night and the high might have reached 60 today. We had dinner here at the campground. Everyone signed up to bring a dish and the campground provided the turkey, mashed potatoes, and gravy. We brought a tossed salad and dinner rolls. I also took a box of white wine. We sat with some folks from Ohio who stay here most of the year. Dinner was at 4 and I was ready for a nap by 5:30. We came back to the trailer and I had to take a walk. Now I await the start of the Steeler game tonight. I don't have good memories of the Steelers playing on Thanksgiving day. I recall a crushing defeat in 1983 by the Lions; a loss to the Cowboys in 1991; and the infamous coin flip game in 1998 in Detroit that led to an overtime loss. Hopefully playing the Ravens will better our chances.
  My last post was two Sundays ago and there has not been a whole lot to write about. My big day was getting a haircut. I looked around for a barber shop that looked like a regular barber shop. It was last Monday and the first couple I saw were closed. Another had a few guys waiting and women barbers. Not that there is anything wrong with that but I am used to Rocco and Sal and Mike at Cambria Barbers in Reading. I pulled into a place that looked slow and was greeted by Ahmed. He and his coworkers were speaking in a language I was not familiar with. Something Middle Eastern perhaps. My guess is Armenian. He did a great job though and I got to watch a rugby match. As you can guess we didn't have much to talk about.
  After my last post I decided I would go out to watch the Steeler game so this past game we went to Beef O'Brady's. They are a chain restaurant and bar down here and I know that they have plenty of televisions and good specials. We had $5 pitchers of domestic beer and a $10 pizza. The game was a victory over the hapless Browns and we are back in the playoff hunt.
  We made only one sightseeing trip lately; that was to the Pinellas County Heritage Park on Saturday. Once again a freebie. It was actually better than I thought it would be. They have taken a couple dozen buildings from the area that were built in the late 19'th and early 20'th centuries and relocated them to the park.

The park is also connected to a botanical garden which was nice.

I guess Santa was off today:

We ended the day at Indian Rocks Beach at a restaurant called Guppy's. The food was excellent. I had lightly breaded calamari for an appetizer and locally caught fresh black grouper with mango salsa and garlic smashed potatoes for my entree. I don't remember what Doreen had and neither can she. I guess hers wasn't that memorable as mine. Okay gotta go; the game is starting.

Downtown Tampa

  On Saturday we decided to head into Tampa and wing it. We didn't have a plan other than Tampa Farmers Market on McDill Ave. It was a small operation, nothing like the farmers markets in PA. Doreen stocked up on veggies such as tomatoes, corn, squash, and some fruit and I scored some huge jalapenos- all locally grown. The south has two growing seasons so there are fresh vegetables and fruit year round. While we were there I got a call from my UPS store whom I had called earlier inquiring about my mail that they supposedly sent out on Tuesday that I still hadn't got. Apparently the girl at the store sent my stuff to our last stop in South Carolina. The guy I spoke to at the store had just started working there and the owner Ashley wasn't available. I will have to call her Monday to straighten it out. After the farmers market we headed over to the Hyde Park area of Tampa.

  Hyde Park is a conglomeration of shops and restaurants and entertainment. It is a very upscale area with stores like Brooks Brothers and Tommy Bahama and Cinebistro where you can dine while seeing a movie. At $15 a pop plus a menu that includes a cheeseburger for $12 it was too rich for my blood. We stopped in a fancy chocolate store and bought four truffles for about eight bucks.

 

  We walked around for a while and took a break in the park.

 

  After Hyde Park we drove over to Ybor City and Centro Ybor. Ybor was the home to many Cuban emigres and is still the heart of the cigar trade. Centro Ybor is the center of Ybor City between 7'th and 9'th Aves.

 

There is an active street car system that goes through town.

 Doreen needed a restroom and I needed a cold beverage. We found a watering hole on the upper level of Centro Ybor overlooking 7'th Ave. While Doreen used the restroom I knocked back a couple of cocktails and took in the view.

We then headed over to the Tampa Bay Brewing Company. We sat out on the patio and enjoyed their brews: Doreen a Moosekiller Ale and I the Iron Rat Stout.



 

We nibbled on some appetizers and I had another beer: Olde Elephant Foot IPA. Nice and hoppy.

 

After finishing our beers we took a walk down 7'th Ave. Seventh Avenue is a lively stretch with bars and cafes even though it was still early for a Saturday night. We stopped in King Corona Cigars and had a smoke and an espresso. I had a Ybor City hand rolled and Doreen had a girly vanilla flavored smoke. Mine was a mild and mellow toro with a nice draw and burn. Doreen enjoyed her little cigarillo:

 

 

After getting wired on espresso we headed back to the truck and drove back to the trailer. I found a nice easy route so the drive is only about ten- fifteen minutes. We had a nice time without ever having a plan so we will go back and hit some of the bars for some people watching and night life.

 

Steelers, Penguins, Pirates Musings

  Today is Sunday November 17. I have to listen to the Steeler game on the computer while I type this. I just don't have confidence in them to go out and watch if it is not on a local station. I don't recall a team in recent memory that was so poor in almost every aspect of the game from special teams, to defense, to offense. The loss of so many key pieces from the teams of the last ten years is showing. I also beleive they have had sub-par drafts lately that contribute to their lack of success. None of their top picks in the last few years has really stood out. My final thought on the Steelers is the ousting of Bruce Arians was a major mistake. Their philosophy of trying to keep Big Ben healthy is like telling Sydney Crosby to just stand at the blue line and with for the puck to come to him. Ben is going to take hits and that is an inherent risk of his style of play let alone having a decimated offensive every year. Let him loose to fling the ball down field and start scouting the college ranks for his replacement now. He has two years left on his contract and it is time to think about a post- Roethlisberger future. I really don't want to relive the post- Bradshaw era. Can you remember Cliff Stoudt, Mark Malone, Bubby Brister, Kent Graham, David Woodley, Jim Miller, Mike Tomzcak, Kordell Stewart, and Tommy Maddox just to a name a few?
 Antonio Brown just scored. A five pass, three run drive.
  Next topic: the Penguins. What is going on? After a torrid start they have dropped five of the last six and have two three game losing streaks. Fluery has a save percentage of .918 but I think that number is misleading and it is alot lower in his last several starts. The Pens are on TV frequently on NBC Sports Net and I watch when they are on. Too many games start with the Pens coming out peppering the opposing goalie with numerous shots only to have whoever it is look like Patrick Roy and when the opposition finally gets a shot or two on net one goes in. The Pens will carry the play for several minutes at a clip but can't seem to bury the puck. They need a better presence in the front of the other team's net to get those "dirty" goals. WOW the Steelers just scored again. Now I feel stupid sitting in the trailer listening to it. Anyway almost every team seems to have an excellent scouting report on the Penguins because that Malkin one- timer is getting snuffed constantly on the power play. They need to try a different combination on the first unit PP. I know Martin has been out but he wasn't lighting the lamp. Also, what is the deal with Chris Kunitz? I swear he has more goals waved off because of a distinct kicking motion than any player I have seen. The good thing is that the season is long from over and as long as they get hot going into the playoffs is all that matters. Speaking of Malkin maybe it is time to move him. This is two years in a row now that he is not producing. Only nine goals last year and only three so far this year.
  How about 'Cutch winning the MVP? He didn't lead the league in any category but on a team with no real superstars they pushed the eventual pennant winner to an elimination game and he at times put the team on his back. He has some of the quickest hands I have ever seen allowing him to sit back and hit any kind of pitch. With him and Sterling Marte they should have the outfield locked down for many years. Can't wait until next year.

Settled in at Happy Traveler

  Today is Tuesday, November 12. We are fully settled in at Happy Traveler RV Park. We got out of Lazy Days on Wednesday last week. Of course the manufacturer still did not give approval for the warranty work so they cut us loose. By the time we pulled into our campsite it was just about dark. I had never set up in the dark before. It was tricky backing into the site but I got some help from three guys from across the way. The next few days we gave the trailer a thorough cleaning, got our mailbox key, went grocery shopping, got the cable hooked up, and checked out the area. We are close to  I-4 and I-75 and everything else thank goodness. Not like the last place where you had a 30 minute drive to civilization. I can ride the bike to the Winn-Dixie about half-a mile away. We are about ten minutes from Busch Gardens and the Yuengling Brewery and many restaurants and other stores. I can't wait to go to Thompson Cigar which is close. I have started looking at golf courses and there seems to be a fair amount nearby that are reasonable.
  Yesterday we took a ride to the manatee viewing area by the Tampa Power plant. The manatees need warm water and they congregate there during the winter because the plant discharges warm, clean water back into the canal. They must be in water that is 68 degrees Fahrenheit or warmer and the power plant provides ideal conditions for them.

 

 

The power company has constructed a nice facility for the public to see the funny looking critters. The best part is it is FREE. There is a viewing deck and we saw several manatees. There were only a few and it is hard to get a good picture of them submerged just below the surface. Here is you can see one that came close to the viewing deck:

 

  I got him coming up for air here. Manatees are mammals and they can stay under water for up to 20 minutes:

 

  Getting a picture is tough because they are under the surface and you don't know when or where they are going to come to the top. I go this one far out in the bay with the zoom. You can see slight swirls on the surface and then you have to train the camera on that spot and wait for one to break the surface. Here I got his tail fluke:

 

 

  The complex also has a long pier type structure that goes through the mangroves and out into the bay where you can bird watch and watch the fish.

 

  Dan, I hope you approve of the pictures. The zoom is amazing. The shot of the tail fluke was a couple hundred yards away as well of the birds.

  After we left the manatees Doreen wanted to stop at the store to return an item so we drove to Brandon on our way back. After going to the store I was thirsty and hungry. I was scouring my smart phone for places to eat and saw all the usual chain restaurants and nothing really appealed to me. Just as we were pulling out of the parking lot from Kohl's I saw a sign for "World of Beer". Well, that was destiny calling and we went in. They had about 100 beers on tap. We started with a sampler flight then ordered food and more beer. Doreen had the German pretzel and I had a craft pizza. A perfect way to finish off the day.

 

 

 

 





Stuck at Lazy Days and Wawa

Today is Wednesday, October 6 and day two at Lazy Days RV Center near Tampa. We had some minor issues with the trailer we wanted to rectify: my beverage center (the secondary fridge) wasn't keeping my beverages cold enough. I took some readings and my beer was between 42 and 48 degrees. Whats the point of having an auxiliary refrigerator if you can't keep your Keystone Light ice cold!; during our trip to Asheville, NC a drawer in the bathroom came loose and broke right off the tracks; the built in DVD player keeps freezing the picture; a power line to one slide was hanging a little low; and we bought an under the sink water filter and want them to install it. We scheduled the appointment for yesterday but since it is all manufacturer's warranty issues (except the filter) they have to get approval to do the work. The place is very big and they actually have a campground, motel, and restaurant on site which is where I am sitting typing this.

There are full hook ups in the bay so we stayed in the trailer last night. It is quite an impressive operation. There has to be a hundred motor homes on display along with scores of travel trailers and fifth wheels. I can see why people come to Florida to by an RV because the selection is massive. We have met some nice people and several from the Pittsburgh area. I happened to wear a Steelers t-shirt and that seems to spark up conversation. We had our own little Pennsylvania section in the lounge. We spent time with a couple from Beaver County there. They had their cat with them on a leash so we had plenty to talk about. Hopefully we can get out of here some time today. I would like to see the Penguin's game tonight which is on NBCSN. If we are stuck here tonight I will have to go out to watch it.
  Also there has been a request to mention the daily temperature so Barry can feel warm when he reads the blog. Today it is 85 degrees and sunny. We walked around looking at RV's to kill time and I broke a sweat. It is much warmer when there is no cloud cover like yesterday. We found a Wawa near The University of South Florida (go Bulls) and actually just hung out in the parking lot in a shady spot. It is now after 3 PM and I will have to go check on the progress.

Hilton Head, Beaufort and now Florida

  I am falling behind on my posts because we have been on the go a lot the last week or so. I lost track of what day we went where. We went to Fort Sumter last Tuesday, 10/29 and we went back to Beaufort again on Monday to actually take our time and walk around the town. After parking the truck we walked up to Bay St. and Waterfront Park.

 

  Beaufort has many stately homes on par with Savannah or even Charleston. Beaufort is actually older than both cities.

 

 

The city has set aside areas for nature and for all to enjoy:

 

 

  Thursday we took a drive to Hilton Head. The drive took longer than I anticipated because of traffic. By the time we parked the truck it was about 1 PM. We parked at Coligny where there was easy access to many restaurants and the beach. We had a fabulous lunch at the Market Cafe. The menu was Mediterranean and American. We walked to the beach and we were glad to see a mat that extended over the loose sand of the beach to the water. Doreen drove her scooter to the end and was nervous about going further.

 

 

After getting up her gumption she took a running start and she made it to the firm, compact part of the beach.

 

  We walked/ rode for a while down the beach and Doreen got stuck only once. Getting off the beach proved to be more difficult as the mat had a lip and was slightly up hill. Despite taking a running start Doreen could not make it. Two gentleman came over to give a hand as they watched Doreen's failed effort. They said they were watching, and debated if she was going to make it or not.

  Hilton Head is definitely upscale and you need some serious bucks to live there. The island is bicycle friendly with three different loops around the island winding through beautiful parks. Keep in mind traffic is heavy on Route 278 so give yourself plenty of time.

  Hilton Head was our last outing in South Carolina. We left there today and are now in Thonotosassa, FL at Happy Traveler RV park. We are close to I-75 and I-4.

 Miles this leg: 404.2

Total miles: 1742.2  Total miles does not include mileage while in the area. I probably put 1,200 miles on while in SC driving to Charleston four times and numerous times to Beaufort.

 

 



 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



Fort Sumter

  On Wednesday we went back to Charleston and went on the tour of Fort Sumter where the first shots of the Civil War were fired on April 12, 1861. There are two departure points for boats going to the fort which is Charleston Harbor. One is Patriots Point and one is in Liberty Square. We went to Liberty Square and took the 2:30 tour because we wanted to give ourselves plenty of time to get there and to park and grab lunch. Hint: you can take your own refreshments onto the boat so we picked up sandwiches at the East Bay Deli before boarding. Liberty Square is also where there are displays and historical information on the fort, slavery and southern culture before the war. The boat started boarding promptly at 2:15 and was under way by 2:30. The ride is about 38 minutes to the fort and you can see many sights along the way. We even a couple of dolphins swimming right on the bow of the ship for a while.

 

  Charleston is flanked by the Ashley and Cooper rivers and the Arthur Ravenel bridge spans them. It is the longest concrete suspended cable bridge in the country.

 

 

  Also the Fighting Lady is seen at her permanent resting spot:

 

  Charleston at one time was protected by four military forts including Castle Pickney which is seen here:

 

  The other forts were Fort Moultrie and Fort Johnson. Fort Sumter was the most defensible of the four installations and Major Robert Anderson moved his garrison there from Fort Moultrie a few days before the bombardment of Sumter began. Fort Sumter was actually not totally complete in its construction and armament. Only half of its guns were installed when the war commenced and Major Anderson held out as long as he could. The Fort was reduced to rubble after 34 straight hours of bombardment. The top two tiers of the structure were obliterated and the fort today looks nothing like it did in 1861:

 

 

 

The current entrance is the left face of the pentagon shaped fort I believe. The original entrance, or sally port was on the gorge side which was the longest and lightest defended side. The gorge took the brunt of the attack because most of the fire came from what would have been expected to be the friendly side facing the mainland. 

 

  There are various cannon on display:

 

 

 

  The crew included an officer and about 12 enlisted men to fire it. This photo gives you a good idea of how imposing the original fort must have been when it was three stories high:





 

  The fort was reinforced during the Spanish- American War with the addition of the Huger Battery but thankfully never saw action.

#6 is the main entrance today and #12 is the gorge wall where the original entrance was located. The large black edifice is the Battery Huger. The area behind Battery Huger is all the rubble from the top two tiers used to fill in that part of the fort so you are actually looking out over the top of the fort.

 

  The battery now houses a gift shop, museum, and restrooms. The is an elevator but unfortunately it was out of service. They say a work order was put, LOL, but it looked as if it has been broken a while so once again Doreen was relegated to the parade ground and I wondered all over. They only give you an hour on the island which is not enough time to read everything as I like to do. You can get an extended ticket for $5 more but then you are there for four hours. The museum alone would take an hour. But I did get a shot of Major Anderson's battle flag which he was permitted to take with him when Confederate General P.G.T Beauregard allowed the fort to evacuate to the supply ship Star of the West. Amazingly it remained in his family's possession until 1904 when it was donated to the fort.

 

  There are several stories about the salvaging of the colors that fateful day on April 13, 1861 but one thing is true; several soldiers gave their lives to preserve the everlasting symbol of freedom.

God Bless America and the Union.