granddaughter coraline

granddaughter coraline

grandson mason

grandson mason

grandson jaxson

grandson jaxson

Saturday, January 31, 2015

19-31JAN15 - Houma, LA (via pensacola, fl)

Early Monday morning, 19JAN, Raymond brought Rebecca, kids & the luggage by RV for early start on our drive back to Houma, LA.  After eight hours on the road we pulled into Pensacola, FL, where Rebecca & the kids had a room reservation at a Marriott property.  This time we are allowed to dry camp with RV in hotel parking lot, because they weren’t expecting many customers!  After unloading, Dan, Rebecca & the kids walked half mile to another Marriott hotel that was supposed to have a heated pool.  Pool wasn’t really warm, but the kids enjoyed the hot tub.

Not much else was accomplished during the last two weeks of January other than small jobs on Rebecca & Raymond’s house – adding lattice screening to the sunporch; re-grouting shower tile in main bathroom; installing new screen door on sliding patio door; installing loft shelving to create more storage in Raymond’s shed/shop they built three years ago (see below BLOG entry); etc.


Saturday, 31JAN, Rebecca, Joe, Tasha & grandson Jaxson headed into New Orleans to see the “Monster Truck” show at the Super Dome.  Their plan is to spend the night at a hotel in New Orleans after the monster truck.  Leaving us to babysit grandson Mason.  No real problem(s) w/Mason, although we missed our bed in the RV.




Thursday, January 29, 2015

15-18JUL15 - Savannah, GA (via tallahassee, fl)

Thursday morning, 15JAN, we (Rebecca, Jaxson, Mason & us) hit the road for Savannah, GA, in the RV.  Why? – to visit daddy Raymond who is attending an aviation mechanic training school in Savannah.  We departed in cold & rain which was pretty constant for the entire drive to our first stop – Tallahassee, FL.   Enroute we stopped at the Florida welcome center for lunch, to our stretch legs & get computer pics with an alligator.  After eight hours driving we pulled into TownePlace Suites Hotel parking lot where Rebecca & the kids will spend the night.  Now we just needed a place to park the RV where we will sleep; thankfully the desk person told us just park in the empty medical center parking lot next door.



By early afternoon Friday we finished the drive to Savannah, GA.  Upon arrival we set up camp at Lotts Island RV on Hunter Army Air Field where we stayed back in FEB11, when we last visited Savannah (see below BLOG link for details of our last visit, & some of the history of Savannah).  After our arrival the ladies & kids headed on foot to the mall right next door.  Late that afternoon daddy Raymond arrived at the RV camp.  After gathering up Rebecca, Jaxson, Mason & all their luggage; he then took them back to the hotel he is staying at for his aviation school.  A short time later we threw their large “double kid” stroller in the back of the Toad & hauled it to their hotel (it wouldn’t fit in Raymond’s rental car).  After showering at their hotel (note - there are no showers or restrooms at our RV park) we left them & headed to the Olde Pink House Restaurant in Savannah for dinner.  This is probably one of Savannah’s top dining spots & we ate here back in 2011.  Corrie went with the BLT salad (which she had last time) & scallops, Dan went with Caesar salad & the arches platter; still highly recommended!
http://theryanrvexpress.blogspot.com/2011/02/06-11feb11-savannah-ga-via-al-fl-ga.html


Saturday morning it was back to the kid’s hotel & then traveling in two cars to the beaches at Tybee Island, GA.  First stop was the beach (cold & windy!); followed by a drive to the end of US 80 (trivia – this is one end of US 80, where is the other end?) & the “old” town of Tybee Island (mostly a tourist trap), which was pretty empty since the “season” is over.  For lunch we headed to The Crab Shack.  The Crab Shack is a favorite of Savannah locals, & only serves seafood that is grilled or boiled (no frying allowed).  One thing they do different is that you can get a boiled seafood platter that includes crawfish, blue crab, snow crab, mussels, shrimp, corn on the cob, sausage & potatoes!  A little pricey but a very good seafood sampler!



 


After lunch the kids & grandkids went to Fort Pulaski National Monument, & we went back to an “art yard” we spotted on the drive into Tybee Island called Fish Art Gallery by Ralph Douglas Jones.  Mr Jones was a former outdoor advertising artist, this man became a fish artist in 2000 and makes fish out of everything imaginable -- tennis rackets, metal trash can lids and rake ends, even guitars -- that he picks up from dumpsters, yard sales, or that are given to him by people.  The “gallery” wasn’t open; a note on the gate said – “open by appointment or by chance”?

After viewing the yard art, we drove to Fort Pulaski (which Dan had toured in FEB11) & joined Raymond & Rebecca & the grandkids.  Turns out we lucked out & were just in time for a cannon firing re-enactment!  We then called it a day & headed back to the RV.





Sunday morning we head back to the hotel, & the decision was made to head to the Savannah visitor center to see what is available for museum tickets?  It is decided that the ladies will take the Toad & head downtown to tour Factors Walk & the river front; the guys will take the kids & tour the Georgia State Railroad Museum.

“Located at the old Central of Georgia Railway Savannah Shops and Terminal Facilities, Georgia State Railroad Museum is a stunning National Historic Landmark that is part of a National Historic Landmark District.  Enjoy a close-up view of the fully operational turntable, learn about the many historic railcars and rolling stock on display, and experience the handcar with the help of a knowledgeable and friendly historic interpreter.  Check the schedule for train ride dates and times, which rotate between the No. 30 steam locomotive built in 1913, and the 'modern' No. 119 diesel locomotive built in 1947... Either way you won't want to miss a ride into Savannah - and the country's - past.  Georgia State Railroad Museum is believed to be the largest and most complete antebellum railroad repair facility still in existence, in the world!”

Because of the size of the museum grounds & the small number of volunteers on hand, many of the exhibits (Pullman car, various engines, boiler room, etc) are only open for a brief time once or twice a day.  Lesson learned check their website for the daily schedule & plan accordingly.  We did luck-out & got to ride on an old “pump car” where you work the levers up-and-down to propel the car.  Although most of the museum is not really geared for toddlers, the grandkids had a pretty good time!







After several hours at the museum the guys head to World of Wings for lunch & then meet the ladies. From there we all head to Savannah’s largest park – Forsyth Park where the kids played for about an hour before everyone called it a day & headed back to their lodgings to prepare for tomorrow’s departure.

Thursday, January 22, 2015

01-14JAN15 - Houma, LA (happy birthday jaxson)

Happy New Year!!! - not much was done during the first part of January.  On 11JAN Raymond was sent to Savannah, GA, by his work for more aviation mechanic training.  So a decision was made that we would transport Rebecca, & grandkids (Jaxson & Mason) in the RV to Savannah over Martin Luther King holiday to see daddy, even though he would have only be gone for one week?

Before the departure our time was filled with family dinners; son Joe finally coming-in from offshore (& getting to open his xmas presents); getting the Toad repaired from the December fender bender; finding out our banking account has been “sold” to a small local bank, which will be of no use to us in our RV travels; more medical appointments; moving the RV from Joe’s to Rebecca’s; grandkid sitting; etc.

The hi-lite was grandson Jaxson’s third birthday Sunday, 04JAN, at a local gymnastic center (see last year’s BLOG for details on his second birthday at another gym)!  Thankfully once again, other than “sugar rushes”, there were no injuriesJ!










Tuesday & Wednesday, 13JAN & 14JAN was spent packing & getting the RV ready for departure for our trip to Savannah, GA.