Jungle Island in Miami

Another day off… another adventure! Today takes us to Jungle Island in Miami. It’s right of the causeway just north of the Miami Port in the heart of the city. As for myself… downtown Miami, or any city for that matter, holds no special appeal for me. Generally I will avoid cities, airports, and newly added to the list… ports, such as the Miami Port. It’s not that they don’t have things to offer… I just consider most not worth the aggravation of the congestion, & crowds… to keep the list short. One such place that is worth the trip was Jungle Island. A local attraction since the 1950’s, and moved to this new location on an Island in Biscayne Bay, it’s a great place to see lots of birds and other wildlife as well as a wide variety of plants, flowers, and trees. We were there about 6 hours and pretty much we able to enjoy everything. A local guide said you could see it all in a couple of hours… this would no doubt be true if all you wanted was a quick walk through and not really take in everything around you. The park is beautifully landscaped to look very plush and natural… this alone is worth the trip. The wildlife, some in a natural habitat settings and some in more oblivious confinement, is a a true joy to see and watch. The shows are informative & interactive, and you get to see animals that you don’t see walking through the park. The shows were especially nice in that the usual carnie/circus type show did not even come to mind. Lots to see & do for adults and kids… there’s lots of shade, and the park was very clean, neat, organized, and the openly friendly staff was a plus. (only exception was the outside dinning…they have a beautiful dinning area but they need to have signs not to feed the natural wildlife and enforce it… the entire outside dinning area was literally crappy with bird mess from all the ibis's that were attracted by feeding)… we ate inside! You can see lions, tigers, ligers, monkeys, birds, gators, turtles, fish, reptiles, kangaroos, and pet various animals in the petting section. You can interact with the birds… close and personal… and enjoy amazing plants, trees, bushes, and a few things that defy being placed into any particular category… except maybe for being alien or scary. Is that plant going to grab me? Around every turn is something new to see and enjoy! Another wonderful day’s adventures. I took about 800 pictures, Shelly the same… so it’s hard to pick which ones to blog with… hope you enjoy!

Oh…. gotta go… it’s off to the beach!

South Beach, Miami Beach, sunny… sandy… warm beach! Now if I could only find a place to park!

Homeless … where to go… what to do ?

We have been legally homeless since 2003. No permanent place to call home… wondering up and down the coast… from the mountains to the sea… from Maryland to the Keys. Always having to find new places to stay… new things to do… new friends to make. Always having to find our way around. Sometimes life comes at you hard… and it is at best… just like they say… “It’s what you make of it”. So with good intentions and carefree optimism… we have traveled in our little Rv… enjoying a lifestyle that is unknown & unnatural by society as a whole. Full-time Rving… they ask “Where do you stay… parking lots?” … “Do you use gas station bathrooms?” … “How do you get your mail?” … “Do you eat at restaurants all the time?” … “Where do you sleep?” … “What do you do for electricity?” … “Guess you listen to the radio a lot without a TV”. A lifestyle that is mostly unknown, unnatural, and almost inconceivable. I’m not entirely sure I shouldn’t be holding out a tin cup! I am often asked why we would do this! I must be doing something wrong? Now comes the scary part…. I use to be what most considered socially normal… worked 30 years for the same company, basically the same house, same neighbors, same friends, same co-workers, same lawn, same routine, same bills, same taxes, same maintenance of said house, shopped at the same stores, same places, saw the same things, etc, etc, etc. The job and house and related expenses, both in terms of time and money… well… it made up 75% of my life and the remaining 25% was all the same routine for 30 years, except for the 2 weeks of vacation a year. The thought of going back to that is truly scary… but to each his own. Yes, we are following the beat of a different drummer… and wouldn’t change a thing! No stress, no tension, no worries, no cares, no boundaries, no restraints… kind of a carefree freedom… follow a whim, follow the wind, follow a dream to experience new things, yes, an adventure through life. I’ve experienced more places in 5 years than in the prior 30. New places, new friends, a world of new things to do and see. Please pardon my little bit of sarcastic whit about the homeless thing and the tin cup… but when your lifestyle is non-convention, the questions we get are amazing to us, although genuinely asked. Here are a few of the “parking lots” where we have stayed… and yes they are parking lots of a sort, since vehicles do park there. This is where we get our electricity, water, internet, and a front yard that we never have to cut! No property taxes, no state income taxes, no utility bills, no high maintenance bills. Our net expenses for a place to stay & electric for the past three years has averaged about $23.60 per week. Mostly in places that people dream of going on vacation to… The mountains, the ocean, Orlando, the Florida Keys, the Gulf Coast, Myrtle Beach, coastal Islands, Cruises, national parks, and nice Rv Resorts that are almost equal to vacation condo amenities… and usually with less crowds and more peace & quiet!

The beach is always a favorite.

Generally any beach anywhere.

Fun… fun…fun!

What’s that white stuff?

oh…it’s sand. My mistake!

Sometimes you just need a get-a-way!

Oh look… there’s a shell.

Being homeless isn’t so bad after all.

You just follow the signs for where you want to go!

Now … where’s my tin cup? … I use it to collect shells!

BTW… for those not in the Rv Lifestyle… the Rv has all it’s mobile advantages as well as a complete bedroom, bathroom, kitchen, dinning area, and living room. Amenities include yes… Satellite Tv, washer & dryer, computers, fireplace, slide out patio deck, basement storage, and the means to be self-sufficient with water supply and power generator if needed. Just missing the hot-tub, and without it… Life is a Beach!… for shore! Thank goodness there’s one usually handy. Until later…. try to keep the sand in your toes and a tropical breeze at you back!

Leaping Lizards

South Florida Lizards… well, maybe not leaping… but certainly crawling, scampering, and climbing everywhere. It starts in the Carolinas… little leaping lizards… and continues down through Orlando. Little leaping lizards everywhere. But here in South Florida the little leaping lizards give way to much bigger lizards. The little leapers to the north seem to only get to be maybe 5-6 inches long. With the warmer climate here, they get to be 3-4 feet long. They don’t leap here, not doubt due to their size, but they do get around. There’s a few pictures of some of the local residents…. sure am glad they are not aggressive and run away… otherwise it would be a bit scary.

They craw across the ground.

They hang up in the trees.

They sun themselves on the rocks.

They hide among the rocks

They run across the paths

sometimes are bit cute

( a least to another lizard)

and most times look a bit scary!

but still interesting to see!

So like many of the other things here in South Florida.

It’s really a change from Maryland!

Car Insurance Anyone?

[ just click picture to enlarge, than arrow back ]

So where are we???

This winter we are staying at Miami Everglades Campground located southwest of Miami and north of Homestead. The campground is really nice and we have a great site between the palm trees. Nice level paved roads and a hike & bike trail goes all around the park… great for bike riding. We are pretty much right next to the everglades and the Everglades National Park. Almost every week we go into the Keys. Key Largo is only 25 miles away. The first week took us to Key Largo, than Islamorada, than Marathon Key… and a two day overnight trip is planned to go to Big Pine Key & Key West. We are close enough to easily go to Miami attractions like the aquarium, the zoo, the beaches and state parks, as well as the everglade attractions, and see gators, tropical birds, iguanas, wildlife and nature stuff. Almost everything is different here… animals, birds, plants, trees, even the grass. Everything around the campground is related to agriculture… nurseries growing all kinds of palm trees, plants, bushes, and flowers… and well as crops like tomatoes and dwarf corn. You can click on any picture to enlarge… than arrow “back”. This is our “Gator Guard”… he watch’s all that enter the park… and this is one of the local residents. They say they are harmless unless you try to catch one. Catch one… do I look that crazy?

Another Blast from the Past!

Another Blast from the past….

Last Summer while staying in Virginia we were not so far away from “Mayberry”. The town more commonly referred to on maps, as Mount Airy, North Carolina. Just a quick drive down the mountain… and I do mean quick… and in 30 minutes we were there. This is where Andy Griffith was born and naturally, the town that inspired many aspects of the Tv show. With the success of the show, the town transformed to somewhat mirror different aspects of the show. Lots of well know places in the show, are represented around the town, as well as, references to the stars of the show. Then there are the “real” places (not Tv-Time) like Andy’s home that he grew up in. There’s the drug store, where Andy worked as a teen. We sat at the original soda counter right by the old timey soda counter fixtures and got a old fashioned chocolate malt. I’m not sure if I ever had a real chocolate malt before… but it was very, very good… and led me to the conclusion that either I had a little bit of a deprived childhood, or I simply was born a bit to late and missed that whole “soda fountain era”. Sometimes, at least for some things, the past was decidedly better than the present… natural ingredients prepared by a real person, right in front of you… sure beats the mass produced processed things we eat today. Our first visit was on a Sunday, and keeping to the practice of small towns in a time gone by, most of the shops and stores were closed. Since most things were closed, it did present us our first of bit of old time Mayberry atmosphere… the streets were very quiet… and as we got out of the truck we could hear the “tune of show” playing as we walked down the street. Kinda made you feel like you just gone back in time. You could almost hear Aunt Bea calling Opie. There were still several stores and dinners open, and we had a good time just looking through the stores, window shopping, and seeing all the memorabilia from the Tv show… everywhere! You name it, shirts, posters, buttons, pins, postcards… anything and everything had the “Mayberry Theme”… and yes, just in case you were wondering, and much to your relief, just in case you need a new edition… yes… they do sell “Mayberry Monopoly”… what a relief. Lots of touristy things everywhere. So if you were a fan of the show… you will have a great time just reliving that feeling of a simpler time… when baseball, marbles, and coloring books ruled the day… and we all sat in front of the wonderful new addition to the family called a Television, and watched our favorite shows, together, as a family. There are also other little interesting shops that have nothing to do with the whole “Mayberry Thing” … go figure that… or just for those that are too young to remember, or grew up watching one of the 2 other channels on the TV. One particular shop had all kinds of tropical stuff and “Coke” memorabilia… along with the worlds largest selection of hot sauces. Great little shop and it was actually operated by the owners… what a quaint old timey idea! The owners were very friendly and a good source of information about the town… and just nice to talk to! Well… that’s today’s trip down memory lane… about … well… a place right out of memory lane. Visit if you can… you’ll enjoy it! …..Richard

Happy Valentines Day!

Happy Valentines Day to My Sweetie, Love of My Life, My Soul-mate, My Best Friend, and partner in all our life’s adventures. My life is fuller & sweeter, being together. Shelly… I Love You!

and…. Happy Valentines Day to family & friends everywhere else! Enjoy the Day!

I Love Daytrips!

I Love Daytrips…. We decided to take a little break from the natural wonders and beauty of the Keys and go to a local attraction. “Bayside” is a local attraction right in the heart of Miami (joy…joy… I just love big cities). Go past the airport… numerous expressways (there’s a conflicted term)… inner city traffic… to the center of the city right next to the Miami Port… find a place to park…. and you are there… no problem! It’s kinda like the inner harbor in Baltimore. Not as nice as Baltimore, but still worth the trip. It was nice to see the stores and shops while walking aside the harbor. The weather was a bit chilly… ha..ha..ha… I know… and I had to buy a sweatshirt because the whole complex is outside. We were looking for a place to eat when I saw Hooters…. not those… the restaurant. Shelly suggested the Hard Rock Cafe. So off we went for a quick snack at the Hard Rock. I couldn’t resist the usual “Heavy Metal Hot Wings” … Shelly got the milder chicken tenders. Its was easy to forget all about that other place we passed by… what was it again? We had been to several other HRC’s and this one was nothing like we expected. All the rest were leaps and bounds better on building design… in side & out. The food was great… but the building etc was a bit disappointing (see picture). Went off to do more window shopping and look at the boats. Finishing up our explorations'… we decided to have a little snack dinner. Oh look…. there’s Hooters again. We went to Bubba Gump Shrimp for a little dinner. Our first time at Bubba Gump’s…. a good experience. We couldn’t decide between the steamed spiced shrimp and the gourmet popcorn shrimp… so we got both! Good to the last bite! Waitress thought she would stump me on movie facts…. she asked 3 questions about the movie… got the first 2 …100%. Than she asked me how many kinds of shrimp were mentioned in the movie. I started to name them off and guessed a total of 17. Right? … she said close…21…. but I got closer than anyone else! So close… but I didn’t get the free dinner. I even used my best Forrest Gump voice… still no free dinner. But the shrimp were great! What a great, fun day! On days like this I don’t even think about Disney or anything else…. just spending time with my sweetie!

But always remember…..