Delray Beach FL to Georgetown TX

DELRAY BEACH TO CLEARWATER, FLORIDA

Added another taste treat when I met friend, Tanya, at Hooters in West Melbourne, FL. I traveled a little further north but it's been years since I've seen her. Tanya worked at the Beach Mens Salon in Peekskill and with my head of hair, she had her work "cut" out for her.

Twisted Texas Melt

Timing was perfect for a sunset on the Gulf of Mexico  as I headed north on SR-19
toward the Clearwater/Lake Tarpon KOA

Clearwater/Lake Tarpon KOA...

...and Site 124. With a 6 hour drive to Milton, Florida ahead of
me, I was unable to take advantage of their free pancake breakfast beginning at 10 a.m.

CLEARWATER/LAKE TARPON TO MILTON, FLORIDA

This 6 hour, 450 mile was uneventful but very long. Stopped for brunch at Cracker Barrel and averaged 70+ mph all the way. Three fuel stops saw diesel prices go from $3.79/gal to $4.14/gal as I headed west; and this is after a 5 or 10 cent/gallon discount. With no inclines, smooth roads and using the draft of 18-wheelers I averaged 12 mpg. I know reducing speed increases mpg except I would never arrive at my destinations within a reasonable amount of time. This campground was yet another KOA that is well run, clean and attractive; that's why I choose KOA over other privately owned campgrounds. As a member with discounts at each booking, an overnight stay is affordable and worth it.

The big weather news was calling for Severe Weather throughout my planned route.   

MILTON/GULF PINES TO BAY ST. LOUIS MISSISSIPPI

After leaving Milton, FL and with my next overnight just 2-1/2 hrs. or 170 miles away in Mississippi, I had the time to stop at a Publix and do some grocery shopping. The best treat of all was grabbing a little lunch right next door:

Remember this? I haven't had one in years. I thought they all closed
following bankruptcy in 2020; 300 closed. There could be one in
Lake Mohegan next to the iHop. I'll check it out when I return.

Finished one before continuing my journey to Mississippi.

The short ride, I thought, would allow me to not only add the Mississippi sticker to my map but also allow me to hunker down for what was forecasted as "Severe Weather." When I pulled into the campground, a driveway right off of SR-90, I looked around as I approached what I figured was the "office," I got that sinking feeling one gets when the brain starts talking to you, "Uh, oh, this was not a good choice." I did chuckle, however, and replied to myself, "Hey, how bad could this be?" What had I gotten myself into? The dilapidated building/office had a piece of paper taped to the locked door: "Call Jerry at..." I did and he told me I should use site 18. Thankfully it was just an overnight stay. I've always said, "I never met a campground I didn't like." This one pushed the envelope. Shall I use pictures worth a thousand words?

Many of these puppies weren't going anywhere. I saw very few "campers." If inhabited, these folks were residents. Winnie was the newest kid on the block and oh, so out of place. The majority seemed to be abandoned but there was evidence indicating otherwise. Fortunately, I had lots of time to check email, write blogs and play "catch up." No sign of severe weather throughout the entire night.

The area off to my left did provide a pleasant and peaceful fishing pond..

...but this place needed more than that to keep anyone for a long term stay.
By the way, Jerry did knock on my door a 8:45 pm and requested that
I leave payment for the night by "slipping it under the door in the morning."
I made Jerry's life easy by giving him the $40.00 fee right then and there.

BAY ST. LOUIS, MISSISSIPPI TO LAFAYETTE, LOUSIANA

Nice and easy, right? Not quite the way it turned out.

Again, wanting to "beat" the severe weather forecasted by getting an early start, I headed for my next stop in Louisiana, Lafayette KOA.  I wanted to be settled in a campground rather than caught on the road with what's predicted. Well, today's trip was one for the books...guess that's why I'm keeping these journals, eh?

1. No storms encountered at all for the entire 224 mile trip. Lowering, darkening and scary looking clouds were encountered but these just produced short spurts of scattered showers with the sun appearing shortly thereafter.

2. First time I've seen a hitchhiker on an Interstate. He was dressed in black, wore a hood and a mask. Wonder if he ever got that ride.

3. Two GPSs were working for me again today. Both knew where I was going...or so I thought... When I followed my gut with Garmin being more reliable (I thought), I noticed how radically different the routes each had chosen. Garmin indicated 20 miles to go while the on-board Rand McNally indicated over 100 miles to go. As I approached Garmin's destination I found it to be a fenced in  abandoned tract of land littered with junked RVs scattered here and there. The rusted frame of an empty sign told the tale. Curse. Curse. But onward we go. Thank goodness I just refueled at a Shell station in Thibodaux, LA, and paid the lowest price thus far on this trip, $3.45/gallon. That, I guess, was the "silver lining."

The yellow line the bisects the lake north to south is the Causeway

4. In glaring detail, one look at the map to the right will tell you of the trip I won't soon forget. One hour longer and 50 miles further along SR-90. It took me south  around Lake Pontchartrain.  Covering 630 square miles, it has an average depth of 12 to 14 feet and is not really a lake; rather, it's an estuary of the Gulf. Brackish in nature, its oval shape measures about 40 miles from east to west and 24 miles north to south. 

Its Causeway is the longest bridge in the world over a body of water and used to illustrate the curvature of the earth.  I traveled around New Orleans and through the heart of the low country. It was shocking and an eyeopener. My GPS recorded elevations from 42' above to -9' below sea level. One stretch of SR-90 was a 10 mile ride over water and marshland of Lake Pontchartrain (not the Causeway). Aside from intriguing river names like the Atchafalya, the historic, Suwanee (in the Florida panhandle), the Mobile, the Biloxi, Chacaloochie Bay and the Tchoutacabouffa (31 mile river flowing from north of Biloxi) there was a more stark awareness that left my mouth open as I drove through Louisiana. Hurricane Katrina in 2005, the flooding of 2016, the worst since Hurricane Sandy devastated Louisiana with 31 inches of rain in 15 hours killing 13 and millions in damages. The ride along route 90 looked as though these events took place last week. Debris in front of or along side boarded homes remain; homes with blue tarp for roofs dotted the landscapes and were more common than those that survived. A few houses were completely covered with the blue tarp. 

Sides of homes were missing, trees still lay where they had fallen and I could only guess as to whether or not these homes were still occupied. I couldn't photograph while driving but all I could think of was taking the word and concept, "poverty," then adding the adjective, "abject" to it which conjures the stereotype for Louisiana and heap on top of all that the ravaging devastation that hurricanes and flooding has bestowed on it and it just boggles the mind even after all these years.

 Thus completes the first leg of my "Winter Adventure." I'm ending with my stay here at Lafayette KOA in Scott, Louisiana. An early start tomorrow will take me to Georgetown, Texas, 6-1/2 hours later to visit friends, Pat and Marty. That blog will begin my second leg, Texas to California. Hope to see you along the way. 

My Week in Delray Beach

 

The 2+ hour trip went smoothly. I went a bit out of my way to Everglades City to take advantage of "cheap" diesel prices in Everglades City, $3.85 at a Circle K. As with most gas stations, I have their gas card which usually affords me a $.10/gallon discount. Check in time was 1:00 pm at Del-Raton RV Park, right on S Federal Highway/Route 1 in Delray Beach. That gave me some time to stop down the street and stock up at a Walmart Supermarket. Lots missing but when I leave, I'll stop at a Trader Joe's up the road on my way to Palm Bay to get the missing items. From there, I'll head west to Palm Harbor and Milton, Florida (on my way to Texas).

The weather continues to be chilly but temps are rising during the day. After my trip to the Everglades, I tried to talk my Floridian friends, even the Snow Birds to consider our animal friends and be a bit more passionate during these colder spells that even Florida has been experiencing.

Once set up, cousin Scott arranged for a Lyft pickup to bring me down to Boca Raton for a small family get together. It was Scott's 32nd birthday. A terrific evening with Scott's mom, Cheri, David, wife, Kori and daughter, Mia Grace. Along with cousin Norma, we had a comfortable six seated outside in the screened lanais.  

My favorite photo of Deputy Sheriff
Scott Thomas and K9 DeVille,
a beautiful Dutch Shepard

It's been about three years since I've visited cousin Norma in Boca. In years past it was always a stop coming or going during my month's long stay in Daytona Beach Shores three hours to the north to visit my cousin, Larry. With Norma's leg on the mend, Mia Grace was in charge of making sure she didn't work and that all had drinks. Dinner included pizza, always a hit with me.

 

Norma's Cream Cheese & Salsa Dip

Eggplant parm

Dinner plates cleared, Mia passed out plates for dessert. After singing...

   

...Mia cuts the cake for Dad

With too much time on my hands, a chat with friend, Ray, a long trip ahead of me and being a little tight on storage space, my thoughts turned to making better use of existing space inside my coach. I have twin beds in the back both of which go unused. 

...I purchased four collapsible plastic crates...

...which, when opened provide 10" x 12" shelving that's 5" deep.

Their perfect height won't obscure the window.
Not wanting to bolt anything anywhere, a few solutions are twirling around
in my head for a way to secure them from tipping while traveling.

An ordered set of tension rods will prevent canned/boxed goods from spilling
while traveling. Their weight may also serve to keep "shelving" in place.
This will free up pantry and drawer space for more "stuff."

WEDNESDAY DINNER WITH JIM & MISSIE at Al Fresco in Palm Beach.  This restaurant and bar is one of the only waterfront dining experiences in Palm Beach. It's situated between the ocean and the Intercoastal on the Palm Beach Par 3 golf course. Be sure to click on RED links for detailed looks at the restaurant's, menus and the galleries.

This is the view I missed dining at night.

We dined on the outside upper deck and...

...shared "Golfballs:" Veal and beef meatballs with spicy
tomato sauce and herbed ricotta and...

,,,enjoyed a couple of bottles of Peppoli Chianti Classico. Here are the taster's notes for my wine loving friends:  It has a lightish red colour and a floral, aromatic nose of cherries and raspberries. The palate is bright with more earthy, cedary, spicy red flavours that call for food. An impressive bottle of real wine true to form.

With the lighting turning my plate a pastel blue, I enjoyed Lobster vi Aragosta: Arborio rice, lobster meat, Saffron, shallots, green peas and cherry tomatoes. We finished by sharing a tasty tiramisu. (Yes, Jack, it was the only meal of the day)

THURSDAY LUNCH WITH KATHY AND NORMA at JB's On The Beach in Deerfield Beach. One of Norma's go-to places for the sights and sounds of on-the-beach dining. The place, at noon, was packed.

A strawberry daiquiri preceded
my delicious Crab Cake Sandwich

 Pan seared and oven roasted traditional crab cake on a toasted bun with lettuce, tomato and remoulade sauce served, of course, with old bay dusted French fries.
(Yes Jack, the only meal of the day) 

SATURDAY LUNCH WITH KATHY AND NORMA at Waterway Cafe in Palm Beach Gardens. This restaurant is a favorite of Kathy who secured Saturday noon reservations for us. Norma drove up from Boca to pick me up and we drove to meet Kathy at the restaurant. "The Waterway Cafe opened its doors in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida in 1986. Built by entrepreneurial businessman and real estate developer Jefferson Vander Wolk, it is located on the site of the former Waterway Marina. Featuring Florida’s only floating bar, Waterway Cafe has become an iconic landmark as well as a popular tourist destination and a local favorite."  (Taken from website)

I'm always so fortunate to be surrounded by beautiful young ladies.
Norma and Kathy enjoying their iced tea while I enjoyed a "Tropical Storm:"
Black Coral Spiced Rum, Pineapple Juice topped with Ginger Beer.

My Vegetarian Pizza
Roasted Garden Vegetables, Extra Virgin Olive Oil,
Garlic & Parmesan on a Cauliflower Crust.

Although taken at sunrise, you get an idea of
why she enjoys living were she does.

The rest of the afternoon was spent at Kathy's condo on the Intercoastal facing Singer Island. The breeze was constant, the view magnificent and the atmosphere so peaceful and relaxing. Being a beautiful weekend here in North Palm, the boat traffic was heavy.

This concludes another wonderful week in my "Winter Adventure." I've been gone 39 days and with two more overnight stays in Florida on my way west, I'll be sleeping in Mississippi and Louisiana before ending the first of three legs of my journey to Texas. I've divided the trip into 3 legs: New York to Texas (2,744 miles), Texas to California (1,865 miles) and California to New York (1,347 miles). On the way back home I'll spend nights in Colorado, Kansas and Missouri thus completing and filling in the six missing state stickers on the lower portion of my map. Can you figure out the next itinerary on my bucket list?

My next blogs will be short and sweet trying to capture the flavor of the next three campgrounds in which I'll spend an overnight. Thanks for all the comments that you've taken the time to write. It's fun reading. If you've left me a comment, be sure to check the post a few days later after I've had a chance to respond and repost. Till next time, take care. There's a snow alert in Peekskill (a dusting) with more expected further north into Duchess and Ulster County.