2012-13 Journey: From Sunny Florida to Snowy Connecticut

FLORIDA AND BACK TO CONNECTICUT

After leaving the Air Museum in Pensacola, we headed to St. Petersburg to visit with Joan's high school girlfriend, Barrie. Barrie had moved to another part of St. Petersburg since our last visit, and we weren't sure if we would be able to park the VIEW near her apartment. As it turned out, we had a perfect place on a side street at the end of Barrie's courtyard. She lives in a very nice area with brick streets and back alleyways that are used as connectors to homes.

The next morning, Joan and Barrie walked through her neighborhood and around a small lake. There were birds, geese, and probably a few alligators in the lake, but none appeared. Barrie seemed to know all of the dogs that were out walking their masters.

The Vagabonds stay with Barrie included a trip to the pier--which the city has plans for a rather ugly replacement. The citizens are up in arms, signing petitions, and carrying signs in protest. The American Vagabonds agree that the change is not for the better, but were not allowed to sign a petition since we aren't residents of St. Petersburg. It seems to us that visitors to the city should be able to give their opinion as that area thrives on tourism! We then hopped a trolley called the 'Looper' and took a tour of the city. For seniors the price of a ride is .25!

The next day, Barrie suggested that we go to the Manatee Viewing Center at the Big Bend Power Station of Tampa Electric. It seems that where the heated water from the plant is discharged into Old Tampa Bay, the Manatees gather. Spectators can view the Manatees from observation platforms or walk along a boardwalk. You may also see coastal water birds and marine life--including small sand sharks. There is a picnic area, butterfly garden, and gift shop. Anyone can view the Manatees even from home if you have a computer. Go to: tampaelectric.com/manatee and use the cameras to watch these large gentle creaatures. You can control the cameras (east or west--Joan likes the east camera) for two minutes, or longer if no one else wants a turn.

Barrie had told us that there was a parade in Tampa called the "Gasparilla" on Saturday. We couldn't get much information from the local citizens, but we decided to take a chance and go. This is a traditional event where a 'pirate ship' and a group of 'pirates' arrive in the bay and attack the city. After a mock battle the mayor hands over the key to the city and the partying begins. It seems to be Tampa's answer to Mardi Gras. We got there early, parking away from the parade route and took a trolley to where the parade was supposed to be. We were quite early, and were able to pick out where we wanted to stand. Needless to say, it wasn't the best place. As the crowds grew, we saw more and more young people drinking and partying. There were some spectators who were dressed in pirate costumes, but most wore skimpy shorts and tops. The parade started around 2:00 PM and was quite colorful with floats of 'pirates' tossing plastic beads into the crowds. The parade continued for at least three hours. We were ready to leave after two hours, but the streets were closed and we had to wait until the end, while people screamed at the passing floats for beads. James wrote a letter to the local newspaper expressing his dislike and disapproval of the parade, and comparing it to the much nicer Tournament of Roses Parade.

We said goodbye to Barrie, and headed to Winter Haven to have lunch with Joan's brother, Carl, and his wife, Tammy, who had left cold Connecticut for sunny Florida. They had found a very nice condo to rent. Two swimming pools and an exercise room are added benefits. We went out to Pizza Hut for lunch and too soon it was time for the Vagabonds to leave if we were going to make it to our next stop before commuting traffic! Next year we will plan a longer visit, if they are still in Florida.

Joan's cousin, Bruce and his girlfriend Judy, are always a fun stop in Florida. They belong to a dance club called "Boppers" and go at least once or twice a week. Instead of staying in the VIEW for our visit, we packed up what we would need for a few days, and stayed in the condo. We unloaded the scooter, and went shopping and investigating the area. On our last afternoon at Bruce's, we went swimming in the pool. The weather was quite warm and the sun was shining all the time we were there. It was the only time on our trip that the weather was truly warm!

It was time for the Vagabonds to start heading north, and a stop at James' son's home in Falls Church, VA. Joan had planned a visit to the archives of the Smithsonian Museum of Art to research a mural by Arthur Covey that is located in the Harwinton Elementary School. We rode the scooter to the Metro Station (a chilly ride), and took the train into Washington, DC. It is always a great place to visit. Our Nation's capital has so many museums, exhibits, and monuments that we can stop at some on every visit and still not see them all!

We had been watching the weather, and a big snow storm was heading to New England. We had to decide whether to go home before the storm, or wait until all the roads were cleared. We decided to go before the storm, which turned out to be a blizzard, with winds, drifting snow which measured as much as 40" in some areas of Connecticut! Our back deck had a pile of snow 34" deep! The weather continued to be bad, so it is a good thing we headed home, but the American Vagabonds sure do miss that Florida sunshine!

On this trip, the American Vagabonds traveled 8, 062 miles. We left on November 20, 2012 and returned home on February 7, 2013. We traveled through twenty states. We visited friends and relatives along the way and explored National Parks. It was a super great trip, and we are looking forward to our summer trip, which will begin after Memorial Day.

Until then, you can Google us, look us up on YouTube (we are SuperTraveler 2012, more videos will be added soon) or check out our website http://www.americanvagabonds.net, and re-read the blog at http://theamericanvagabonds.blogspot.com.

James and Joan

The American Vagabonds