We have been lucky enough to have visited beaches along both coasts, the gulf in each state that it touches, Hawaii, and Jamaica. Of them all, the west coast of Florida beaches are my favorite. White sands, shells, and warm water are awesome! Siesta Key beach is the number 1 beach in the US, or so they say! As big as it is, it is not a long walk to leave the public access and reach the towering condos. Another day, we made the trip up to the Clearwater area beaches and got to cross the Sunshine Skyway. Much nicer view than the Chicago Skyway. In between beaches, we visited the Sarasota Jungle Gardens. They have some nice exhibits of the state’s plants and animal life. And Claudia finally met a snake that she was not afraid of.

We arrived in Sarasota about three days after tropical storm Eta did and found little to no sign of the storm. Our home here for two weeks is about seven miles from the gulf. There is so much to see and do down here, and so much of it can be done away from the crowds. We saw the park in Venice where my mother retired to and walked the beach there looking for sharks teeth. We walked the North Jetty, around St Armands Island, swam on beautiful beaches on several keys, and hiked a state park or two. The weather in the days before Thanksgiving is great also.

Florida has it all, beautiful forests, outstanding beaches, fabulous seafood, and tropical storms and hurricanes! One day we hiked thru Hillsborough State Park wandering dense covered trails along a set of rapids. Another day was spent in Tarpon Springs, where Greek sponge divers settled in the early 1900s. Now it’s a true tourist stop filled with Greek food, sponges of all shapes and sizes, many other trinket shops, and boat tours. The next day, we returned to Ybor City to tour the Tabanero Cigar store where they make some of the finest hand rolled cigars. One of our last expeditions here was out to Sand Key in St Petersburg. Most Florida beaches are white sand covered with sea shells. In the distance, though, was the ominous clouds of tropical storm Eta, which brought us gusty winds and inches of rain.

Zephyrhills is about 35 miles northeast of Tampa, Florida. Known for absolutely nothing, it is a nice quiet city filled with RVs and mobile homes filled with seniors that come for the weather as do most in Florida. So far, we walked along Bayshore Blvd, the longest in the US. Great views of both Tampa and Hillsborough Bay. Another day, we took a walking tour of Ybor City. Not really a city, but a neighborhood north of downtown Tampa, is has a rich history starting with Vicente Martinez-Ybor’s desire to create a town built on hand rolled cigars. After years of decline and the destruction of many outer areas of the city, a revitalization is ongoing though currently stalled by Covid. Something else about this area, it is full of chickens! Here they are protected and hurting one can land you in jail. A funeral is held each year for James E Rooster during Mardi Gras. And couldn’t leave without a handful of hand rolled cigars!

Six weeks ago, we arrived in Harpers Ferry, WV. Since the, we have traveled down the west side of the Blue Ridge Mountains and have been traveling south watching the leaves change colors in the national parks and along the Blue Ridge Parkway. Today when we leave Blue Ridge, we will leave the mountains and the hills behind as we travel to southern Georgia before driving to Florida. Our last full day hear was visiting Mercier Apple Orchards and then taking the dog to hike at Vogel State park.

Here at the southern end of the Blue Ridge Mountains, fall colors are spectacular. Last year we rode the heat wave from the UP all the way down to Chattanooga before the temperatures started to signal fall. Before the leaves started to change, we were down the Atlantic coast. This year we are running with the colors starting in PA and continuing to Blue Ridge. In Helen, a Bavarian styled town an hour away, Octoberfest is being celebrated. On our return, we stopped to hike up to Anna Ruby Falls, actually two falls that dump into one at the base of the falls. The next day we got lost looking for other falls and ended up at the Toccoa River Swinging Bridge. At 270 feet long, it is the longest swinging bridge east of the Mississippi. The next day, we stopped at Vogel State Park to see the small falls there, then on to DeSoto Falls where in a 2.5 mile round trip, you can see both the upper and lower falls.

We switched gears here for about ten days here in the south east of Tennessee. When we travelled thru the area last year, we found that we really liked the thought of retiring here. This time thru, we are looking at the cities of Knoxville and Chattanooga and their surrounding areas for what house cost, what neighborhoods are like, what shopping and churches are like, and how we will make out financially. As I write this, I can see the leaves falling from the trees, although today’s high should be 79. What’s it like home in the Chicago area today? But we have collected enough information for now so we are taking time to hike, clean house, and relax. Tomorrow, we leave for a week in Blue Ridge, Georgia, and then a three day run to the Tampa, Florida area where we will start our Florida adventures – four multi week resort stays and three stops in campgrounds while traveling will take us to the end of the first week of January when our trips starts west again.

Our first stop in Tennessee is the Tri-Cities: Kingsport, Johnson City, and Bristol in the very far northeast corner of the state. Bristol has a speedway here set up for short track NASCAR races, drag races, and dirt track races. A drag race set for this weekend was cancelled due to covid, but it is going to rain all weekend anyway. The area is called the Houston River Valley and is quite hilly. The fall colors are gearing up and the views are wonderful. We took a day trip the the Cumberland Gap National Park for some hiking. We also checked out some of the local towns as we want to settle in eastern Tennessee, although not this far north.

We made our next stop in Salem, VA. Our first day exploring took us back on the Blue Ridge Parkway. Once again, the pull outs here afford beautiful views of the mountains and the towns below. Our second day, we toured Dixie Caverns. The name came from the dog that found the cavern in 1920. Another day, we drove up to hike at Natural Bridge State Park. The bridge started forming millions of years ago. It is said that George Washington carved his name in the bridge but we don’t know where.

Located in west central Virginia, the Shenandoah National Park includes part of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Skyline Drive runs the length of the park along the ridgeline. At the south end of the 105 miles long road, the drive becomes the start of the Blue Ridge Parkway. For the next four weeks, we will be traveling south along the Blue Ridge mountains to the southern end in northern Georgia. Hopefully we’ll get to see a lot of color.