savannah, georgia

finally i found myself back in georgia.  i got to savannah in the early evening.

the tree covered streets were really nice.  it seemed as though every street had the protective shade.

i drove around randomly.

this touring option doesn't look very comfortable.

it was really nice driving around savannah.  there are a bunch of little square park areas interjected into the street grid.  kind of like the four squares of philly except they are smaller, there are more of them, and they are spaced more closely.   there were also a couple larger parks.   i went to one called daffin park.

river street was really neat - a cobblestone road with a trolley that had the river on one side and little souvenir shops on the other side.  and the normal street shopping sections looked pretty nice too...

i like cable stayed bridges.  this one could be seen from town.

i liked savannah.  i was surprised at how big (land area) it seemed.  it looked like there were probably a lot of great hole-in-the-wall businesses that would only be found by word of mouth.  somehow i'd never heard much about savannah.  i'm glad i visited.

crescent beach, florida

yup, another beach!!   crescent beach.  it would have been fun to drive on the beach, but the fee discouraged me from doing it.  instead i found free parking in a lot behind the dunes.

i packed a little bag with water, oranges, granola bars, nuts, a book, my frisbee and my camera.  that's all i really needed.  sadly, i could have done without the frisbee because the breeze wasn't strong enough to make use of it.   but i enjoyed reading while sitting on the sand, soaking in the sun.  it was a pretty beach.

the sand was very soft and 4x4 only signs were posted in one direction at the entrance.  apparently a 4x4 vehicle would have been helpful where i was too, because a truck got stuck in the sand right in front of me.

it was sad that the guy wasted 45 minutes of beach time trying to turn around to get off the beach, but i have to admit it was a little entertaining to watch.  he was getting plenty of help from people, so i just stayed back and read my book, looking up after each page to see his progress.   a 4x4 truck passing by was able to tug him free, but he just kept getting stuck.  then another truck took over and snapped two cables in the effort before finding a successful approach.

having grown up on a beach, i'm familiar with the particular challenges of sand.  it's a different kind of monster.   maybe it's good i didn't drive my van on that beach.  i wonder how my van would have handle that sand, or if i would have dared brave it at all once seeing how soft it was.

morning routine at walmart

for those who may be interested...   here's a description of my typical morning routine when i sleep in a walmart parking lot...

getting out of bed:

*i listen to the sounds around me when i first wake up.  usually i'll hear some combination of idling walmart semis, walmart customers speeding through the lot or shutting car doors, wind, rain, birds, and my rustling sleeping bag when i squirm.  i'll almost NEVER hear an alarm clock : )

*i sometimes check my indoor/outdoor thermometer.  i usually keep that in the driver's seat back pouch which i can reach from bed.

*i locate my iphone to check the time.  my phone is either set on stuff at arm's length to the side, or if it's really cold out i keep it in my little inside sleeping bag pocket.

*with my phone i read a chapter from a book of the bible.

*with my phone i view email, facebook, blog comments, and friends' blogs, and pray for people.

*i ponder about what my plan is for the day and use my phone to look at the weather, maps, and internet.

*and THEN i emerge from my sleeping bag...  if i'm ready. : )

*i peek out the window to see what the world is doing around me.  this helps orient me to remember where i am in the lot.  after being at so many lots, sometimes i can forget which section of the parking lot i am in.

*i get dressed. this is a little challenging, especially because of the low ceiling clearance.  for instance, getting my jeans on usually is accomplished in three stages.  first i scrunch them around my shins while sitting on my make-shift bed - but have to do this while ducking because of the low ceiling, then i roll or shuffle myself to sit in the middle of my bed and straighten my legs toward the front of the van while leaning back and pulling my jeans up half way. then i keep leaning toward the back onto my elbows, grab the front seat head rests with my feet and arch myslef up on my elbows and shoulder blades to finish pulling my jeans into place. i'm getting pretty good at it, but if you can think of an easier way, i'll hear it out : ).

transforming the van:

*i open my curtains which are made from towels hung by little ikea clips which hook on bungee cords that are attached near the top of the rear windows.  the hooks slide easily along the bungees.  i remove whatever i had stretched across the front streets for privacy from the front.  usually it's just my jacket that i put there.

*i move one or two things around to make sure i have good visibility and little cargo shifting when i drive.

*i crawl up to the front seat being carful about what i'm stepping and crawling on and always wondering if someone is watching me awkwardly plop down into the front drivers seat after i emerge from the back of the van.  i put on my shoes, which i usually leave in the front on the floor.  tying shoes with a steering wheel between your face and your feet is a challenge too.

*i make sure my van is properly secured for the location i'm in.  i don't have a checklist per-se but it could include removing most or all items from the passenger seat, putting my stereo face-plate out of site, pulling some curtains shut, and using the club.

*i make sure i have my phone and wallet things and camera and key before leaving the van.

breakfast:

*i go into walmart to use the restroom.

*on my way out of walmart i'll stop at the mcdonals within to ask for a cup of hot/boiling water, usually with success.

*i bring the hot water to my van and make my breakfast while sitting in the driver's seat.   i keep my food stuff in a container under my bed behind the passenger seat, so it's accessible by reaching my hand back there and pulling out what i need while sitting in the driver's seat.  i pour instant coffee or hot cocoa or both into a cup.  pour half of the hot water in that cup to make my drink.  then i pour an instant oatmeal package into the remaining hot water.   so it's often oatmeal and coffee for breakfast in my van.  : )

i can generate photographic illustrations upon request.  : )

st augustine, florida

before i got to st augustine, florida i didn't have any particular expectations, except that a number of people liked it there.  as soon as i got there, i thought it was a really nice place too!!  just seeing it as i drove in, i knew i'd love it.

i drove around for a little while and then found a place to park and walk around. 

it was so quaint.  i loved the well preserved old stiles of the buildings and houses. 

flagler college was right in the middle of the town.

this building used to be a hotel and was eventually converted into the college.  i thought of jolene when i saw the sign briefly describing the history.

aunt debbie recommended getting an amazing cheese soup from a1a ale works

she also recommended cupcakes from luli's!  so good!!

it was very cute and very pink.

my visit was super, except for the fact that i have extreme reactions when i'm bitten or stung by pests...  for instance, look at how my skin reacts to a simple gnat bite! : (

i enjoyed my exploration in my van and by foot.  some people rent these little vehicles, but if you ask me, that just looks dangerous.

the day was ending, so i searched for the nearest walmart.  it had been four weeks since i had slept in my van. when i pulled into the parking lot i cracked up because it felt so familiar and almost like home.  : )    weird, i know.

i was particularly excited to find a lot of rvs in the lot.  i wouldn't be alone.  hmmm, it was kinda nice sleeping in my van again...

ormond-by-the-sea

i waved goodbye to my cousin jaime early in the morning as she left with all of her family and belongings to move to louisiana.   since everyone had left the house and took the fun with them, it was time for me to start moving again.

on my way out of town i stopped at the lazy bean for a hot chai tea latte.  my aunt who recommended i get it was so right - it was delicious!

sipping chai tea, i got on the highway and began my south-to-north part of this journey with the anticipation of getting to maine before the summer solstice.  i decided to pass through daytona.  i don't follow racing, but i'm still fascinated by the sport.  i'd love to watch a race someday.

the sign claims "worlds most famous beach"?? hmh, didn't know that.  not sure if that's just self proclaimed.

i wanted to drive on the beach, but their was a fee for that.   ummm, i'll pass.  instead i just drove north along the a1a coastal route.

some of the way, i was within a stone's throw from the ocean.

it was a very pleasant drive!  i pulled of periodically and kept seeing the same flock of birds moving in a line within inches of the waves.

i decided to pull over and sit on the beach.  i found myself on an orange beach at ormond-by-the-sea.  it was the most orange beach i'd ever seen.   as i sat and meditated and watched some other people who were there fishing.  i also looked closely at the sand and discovered that the color was from millions of crushed shell pieces.  my theory was supported by a big piece of a delicate orange shell that i found, seen in the foreground of this photo.

while i sat, i was reflecting on and thankful for the time i had with my relatives for a week.  i also pondered the lent season which was about to end.  then my mind turned toward the excitement of the people and places and beaches i was planning to see in the journey north.  the hot sun on me was signal that it was indeed time to head toward maine.

port canaveral, florida

remember when i was in tampa and met my former office-mate jen and some of her friends before they got on her bachelorette cruise?   well, i got to reconnect with erin and karen and their friend nate in cape canaveral.  we just hung out for a while at milliken's reef for drinks and then went to chilli's for a few late night snacks.

we got to chat, laugh, and share stories.  i like hearing peoples stories about random events...  but i really like when people tell a little about their life story.  everyone's story is unique.  each of us in this picture have a different story, different experiences that have shaped who we are and how we view the world.

i hope that in the short time we had to chat and share an evening together, we've somehow helped each other have a better understanding of the world and the people in it.  : )

the next time i get to see erin is at jen's wedding in philly in may.

back to the relatives

i drove across florida once again back to merritt island.   it was more time with my relatives!  uncle jerry, aunt debbie, cousin jaime, chris, trinity, tanner, topher...  but this time it was without my sisters.  : (

i stayed for almost a week and really enjoyed it!  for the most part, i just hung around the house with whomever was home throughout the day.   my energy was still low from the two weeks in tampa.  i felt like i was coming out of hibernation...

there was plenty of time to play with trinity, my 9-year old first cousin once removed.  one day we were playing tag in the back yard and by the end of it i had a splinter in each hand and she had a splinter in her thumb from the trees we used as base.   we think we got them out... mostly.  while we played, trinity pointed out a manatee in the water.

on another day my cousin elijah and his son carson pulled up in the back with his boat.

trinity and i hopped in and we went for a gentle ride up sikes creek and full speed cruise down banana river.   carson and trinity enjoyed riding the front,

i was in center, and eli was getting pretty wet at the motor.

we were cutting it close on time as the sun was setting,

but we made it back before dark.

on another day i visited my uncles nursery!

we did a little work with joe while at the nursery.  i used a forklift for the first time to move some trees around.  thanks to trinity for taking the photos. : )

on sunday at church we watched a really well done 'play' with a live choir and orchestra depicting the last supper, garden of gethsemane, and the crucifixion.  the second half of the presentation where jesus rises from the dead was to be the next sunday - easter sunday!  so, it's too bad i left the state before easter : (

my relatives always make really good food, so i ate well while i was with them.  debbie introduced me to a quick snack/lunch made from mashed avocado, sauerkraut, and paprika on toasted whole grain bread!  you should really try it!   jerry made several meals that were always delicious.  jaime made lasagna which is a long standing favorite of mine.  mmm, so good.

jaime and chris were about to move to new orleans.  on my last day with them, chris and i moved the heavy furniture into their moving truck.  it was a good workout.

jerry chris jamie and i had properly prepared ourselves for the hard working day by playing beer pong the night before.  haha, yeah right.  jerry had never played before, but got the hang of it pretty quickly.  : )

so, yeah, it was good times and i felt loved.   i felt like..  family!  : )