It's about time...

If writing this blog was somehow tied to my library card, I'd need a loan application to pay off the overdue fines. Yeah, I'm late. We are now in Naples, Florida, but there have been a lot of stops and places seen/done since we left New Hampshire. Here's a recap from early October to Christmas.

Taylor Brooke Winery & Brewery, Stockbridge, CT

Our first stop was at a Harvest Host facility in Stockbridge, CT. The countryside of rolling hills and farms was pleasant, as the day was sunny and warm. We stayed overnight and enjoyed their wines and food truck. It was a really fun place, as there was an Irish band playing and there were food trucks on hand. A really nice place.

Croton on the Hudson, NY

On the banks of the Hudson River in New York is a state park, which is visually stunning. It's alive with wild life and the small town feel betrays that you're in the shadow of New York City.

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There are a lot of walking paths and easy access to the Metro North Railroad that takes you to Manhattan. We rode our bikes there and got covered in pine needles.

During our stay, we met up with my sister and she took us to see "Aunt Lucy", who is 100 years old. It would be easy to write an amazing tale of my fathers sister, as she is simply a titan in the eyes of all her nieces, nephews and most everyone who knows her.

Poughkeepsie, NY

We spent a week at a KOA Campground about 15 miles from Poughkeepsie, which is home for Marist College and Culinary Institute of America. It is also home for my daughter Katy and her boyfriend Zion.

It's hard not to find good food in Poughkeepsie and the restaurants span from what you'd expect to what you don't. Experimental approaches to tastes' and presentations.

The campground is in the country and the roads are narrow with sharp curves and hills. But it is here we found great barbecue and an anniversary dinner at an old airport, where you can watch planes take off and land.

We also spent time with Katy and Zion, walking over the Hudson (it's not walking on the Hudson, as I've only heard of one guy who could walk on water), and having a drink at a local brewery. We also had a tour of Marist, where Zion is a professor. It's a pretty campus, with stunning views of the Hudson.

Bechtelsville, PA

This was an interesting stop, as we only were there for two days. While there, we ate some pretty bad food, while dining on some pretty good food. We took a day to try and visit Amish country and we got to see farms, farmers and a lot of bad drivers. We also visited the birth place of Daniel Boone.

Abingdon, MD

We made it to Bar Harbor RV Resort and Marina. The campground has a lot of permanent residents and weekend visitors. The facility was small and was nestled on the shore of the Bush River and was across from Aberdeen Proving Ground. If you're lucky enough, your site backed into shore points, which offered gorgeous views of sunrise. Ours wasn't. We were parked in a really tight spot underneath and acorn rain forest. The constant deluge of the acorns, day and night were worthy of forming permanent blink tics.

Nearby, there were plenty of hiking trails and wildlife centers that were really nice and allowed our ears and tics a reprieve. We visited Harford Glen Preserve, which is comprised of learning centers, hiking trails, open fields, rivers, wildlife and camping. We scrambled around and enjoyed the area. The best meals in Maryland were enjoyed in the Puffin...

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Castle Glen Estates Winery, Doswell, VA.

We stayed overnight at another Harvest Hosts facility; Castle Glen Estates Winery. It is a small, but beautiful area that is not far from I-95. There, Julie connected with one of her workmates and we shared wine and munchies into the early evening. It was a wonderful visit. And the wine? Yeah, it was our responsibility to leave with some...

Wade, NC

We arrived to spend a week at RV Resorts and Cottages, which again is a short distance to I-95. The facility is family friendly and well managed. The sites are easy to fit into and there is a lot to see. Aside from a lack of restaurants that are close, we stayed at the campground the majority of our stay, but never ran out of things to do! There is a lot of construction in the area and many of the residents are in the campground full time. If a school bus stops at the entrance, it kind of gives it away. We liked this place and would return as our experience was good...

These images are from an area of the campground that is reserved for the kids. As each season arrives, they get to decorate the area in whatever way they wish. It is cool, but I kept getting thrown out...

Timmonsville, SC

I'm going to get in a lot of trouble. Actually, Julie and I are going to get in a lot of trouble. In Timmonsville, we stayed at another Harvest Hosts winery. As we pulled into the entrance, we stopped, looked at each other and wondered if we strayed into an episode of Sanford and Sons. The driveway was a muddy mess and the facility was an arrangement similar to a junkyard. The host quickly appeared and we were able to hook up water and electric, the site complete with AstroTurf. We wandered into the wine tasting where our host served the different varieties of wine in small plastic cups, similar to your dentist "swish and spit" cup. There were other campers there that enjoyed the host wines so much, they spent their time talking about going to other wineries that were superior. The host and her 28 cats didn't seem to mind. The site was 15 miles from I-95. I had nightmares that we wandered into a movie with Burt Reynolds, Ronny Cox, Ned Beatty and Jon Voight. We left at the crack of dawn, the Puffin caked in mud. There are no pictures, as Julie who took them, has had trouble with her iPhone. There are one or two on her FB feed. God Help US... it ain't easy trying to be wine snobs!

Creek Fire, Savannah, GA

Last year, this RV resort was down the road from where we stayed last year. This year, we stayed there and as was anticipated, had a great time. Access to the pull through sites are a breeze, The utilities are nicely maintained and one of the nice features is the on site restaurant and bar. A little wandering here... We're beginning to realize that living in a RV full time is not really camping. The more time we spend on the road, RV life is leading us to higher end facilities with site pads that are paved, or concrete, have good utilities and have access to restaurants or bring in food trucks.

The weather was good, with warm days and cool nights. Julie took some time off and we took advantage of catching up with friends and family. We spent a weekend in Jacksonville, FL with her cousins family and had a wonderful time.

On the way back from Jacksonville, we stopped at Jekyll Island, which is a mixture of homes, high end hotels and restaurants. The island appears to appeal to corporate events, while visitors also flock there for the beaches, which are beautiful.

We took a day and went to Bluffton, SC to meet up with another of Julie's old workmates and spent the day exploring. This town is well worth exploring, as it's pretty with shopping and dining. We met at a place called Wine Time.

In our fumbling zeal to become wine snobs, I don't think this is

the place to try and earn your stripe. Let me explain. The venue is very relaxing and laid back. No one hovers asking you to tell them what notes you can taste, or if the legs are good. There is no pretense. It is the place to go, enjoy a bottle of wine and RELAX. However, if you are a wine snob, or want to learn about wine, you'll find the people there to lead you through an amazing variety of offerings that will satisfy your novice to educated palate. I'd go back there in a heartbeat. There is food and wine accessories and Wine Time supports local charities and farms. Wine Time does it right!

We also spent a day in downtown Savannah, where we met up with another of Julie's current workmates and his husband. We had a relaxing lunch and enjoyed good conversation before heading back to Creek Fire.

Ocala North RV Resort, Reddick, FL

In all the times I'd been to Florida, the only place that appeared different to me was the Keys. I'd been there once for a business meeting and no wide boulevards, stoplights or rush our traffic. So it came as a shock to stay a week at Ocala North RV Resort. The RV resort had all the standard amenities and also had food trucks on the property on certain nights. The park was easy to navigate and utilities were good. But the biggest surprise, aside from my prior, narrow views on Florida was the countryside. We were in the heart of horse country and surrounded by large farms that had alpacas, livestock and of course horses. Breathtaking, as I'd not seen such beauty since the rolling Maryland farm country. While there, we had dinner at Antonio's Made in Italy, which was wonderful. Traditional, home made Italian and a very good wine list. The venue was small and it didn't take long to fill up all the tables. Service was "white glove" and attentive at all the right times. Sorry, no pictures...

Crystal Lake RV Resort, Naples FL

The RV park is where we will reside until early April, 2024. Of all the RV campgrounds we've stayed at, Crystal Lake is far and away the upper end of luxury amenities and sites. Wide boulevards, very wide and deep RV spots. Backing in is all they offer, but you have an enormity of space. No one is in a spot behind or in front of you. The park has a full time management company with work crews/facilities in the park. Aside from clubhouses (2), there is bocce, shuffleboard, golf, tennis, pickle ball and constant activities with members and renters alike.

Our first few days here were focused on decorating in and out. Christmas lights are on everything. Nothing holiday light. And seems untouched by a We went to Vanderbilt beach, which is where we had lunch at the Ritz. Shopping, banking, dining, groceries are all within a mile from the resort.

We weathered the storms that blew through here this past weekend without incident. Others closer to the gulf shore weren't so lucky... a lot of flooding. So far, the trip to Naples has been good and filled with a lot of fun moments and memories...