Key West

March, 2006

One of the coolest things on our trip was staying in Key West. Our campground was right off

the water! Every morning Jeremy and I would wade into the water looking for buoys that fisherman left behind. We collected lo

ts of them while we were there, and for those of you that have been to my house, know that they are displayed over my bed!

In "downtown" Key West, the time to party is sunset. Not only is there always a beautiful sunset on display, but many vendors and street performers add to the wonderful night life. I can't remember the last time I saw someone juggle on a unicycle! And of course, what would Key West be without a Hard Rock Cafe? We just couldn't pass up the incredibly over-priced restaurant and ate right on main street.

Yet another memorable moment was when we went to the "Southernmost Point of the Continental U.S." It's the marker that essentially shows the farthest point in to U.S! From there, it is only 90 miles to Cuba! What makes this particular trip so memorable was the very long walk. It took so long, that when we finally got there I really had to go to the bathroom. You can't tell in the picture, but I am about to pee my pants! The photographer probably thought I was a freak! After taking two pictures, which seemed to take an immense amount of time, We then proceeded to find the nearest bar or restaurant with a bathroom!! Because most of the businesses are off the beach, many of these places do not let you use the restroom unless you are a paying customer. So, being good americans, we treated ourselves to some strawberry daiquiris and pina coladas.

Finally, while driving around the Keyes on our last couple of nights, Dad and I encountered one of the most beautiful sunsets I have ever seen. Now, I have seen many, many sunsets, but this one I will remember forever. I'm not sure if it was the way the water glistened off the water, or the way the winder blew in my hair, but something about it almost made me cry! It was that beautiful. I wish I was a painter, or even a photographer that could really capture the essence of that sky, it was just amazing. A moment on the trip that I will definitely never forget.

till the tide comes,

lindsey

new directions

Since myspace or facebook wasn't invented until after our infamous RV trip, I am going to share it with all you bloggers! From now on, this blog will be called "Now and Then" and I will try my best to cover our whole trip! Stay tuned!

till the road ends,

Lindsey

my first RV post!

About five years ago we packed up our family of four and moved into an RV to travel the U.S.A. This was a life-changing experience for me, and I thought I would share it with all of you bloggers out there! From now on, I will try to recap our trip as best I can and share with you where I was on this date in 2006!

Today, I am going to start with the nearest date documented to this date.

Feb 3, 2006. Biscayne National Park. Homestead, Florida.

Let me start out by saying that February is a little different in Florida! It practically never gets cold there! 60-70 degrees farenheit is a normal temperature in the winter; an ideal climate for all it's diverse wildlife. At Biscayne National Park in Homestead Florida, they protect numerous types of wildlife, including coral reefs, beautiful islands (and my favorite) manatees! The park's other visitors include turtles, pelicans, and plenty of colorful fish. Many of the park's guests snorkel, boat and camp right on the bay! Although, we wish we could have participated in these activities, our time in Homestead, Fl. was a short one.

Here on the left is my brother and I at the end of the boardwalk. (I know, I'm lookin' a little chub.) It was so beautiful outside with the wind blowing in our hair. Jeremy and I have a numerous amount of these 'ocean moments', and I have to say, seeing the ocean and all it's splendor was one of my favorite parts of the trip.

One of the many traditions we had during out trip was to collect 'stamps' or 'cancellations' from all the different national parks we went to. We bought a 'passport' in which you put all your stamps in! (Shown on left.) All of the national parks in the U.S. are split up by region: The North Atlantic Region, where states such as New york, Maine, and Vermont are located. the Mid-Atlantic Region, where Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Virginia are located, The National Capitol Region, (where as you may guess is where the District of Columbia is!) And the list just goes on and on.

Along with all the other trinkets we collected on our trip, we also gathered patches. These were just iron-ons from national parks and other various locations we could find them at. Our plan was to iron them to a great big blanket to display them...but none of them will stick. :( I know, sad.

Now that I have totally bored you with all of our silly little traditions, I hope that you will continue to read and join me as I re-visit our trip.

till the waves crash,
lindsey