Tampa!

Last November an old college friend of mine finally crossed one of the items off her bucket list--at long last she was relocating to the beach.  Since I have so much free time (and the flight was dirt cheap) I decided to go for a visit as I haven't seen the ocean since 2005.  I went to Orlando for a educational conference and one of the days we snuck off to Cocoa Beach.  I spent one day at Padre Island in 2004 and before that it was a family vacation to Orlando in the late '80's.  Not a lot actually happened on this vacation, so this post will mostly be photos and some description. Y'all like photos don't you?

My favorite part of any long distance vacation that involves air travel is the airplane ride itself.  I love to fly. Growing up I wanted to be an astronaut (my eyesight nixed that dream).  I splurged on an window seat for the flight down so that I could spent the entire flight gazing in awe at the wonder below me.

"Fly the friendly skies...."

I love aerial horizon shots.

Swampy looking country somewhere South of TN.

First view of the Gulf Of Mexico

About 5 minutes before we landed in St. Petersburg.

After landing at the St. Pete airport we drove over to the quiet little town of Pass-A-Grille for lunch by the ocean followed by a long walk on the beach.  Naturally I had to wade...It must be part of my DNA that if there is water I must immerse myself in it.

 

Had my first ever conch fritters.  Very tasty!

I also saw 4 rays in the water but couldn't get a clear shot.

View of the Don Caesar Hotel

Sunset at my friends apartment complex on the 1st night.

On my second day there I chilled at her apartment while she had to work.  I took a lovely walk on the complex grounds in the morning, and that evening we went to visit the Pier in St. Petersburg.  It permanently closed on the Friday of that week and is scheduled for demolition.  A new 'fresh' project is in the works, but has been met with a lot of opposition.

I did manage to see a manatee swirl that morning, but no manatee.

The pelicans walking up to the Pier were the best part.

Honestly,  I wasn't impressed.  It smelled BAAAAAD.

My third day (Friday) there was a dud day.  My allergies were in meltdown mode and all I wanted to do was die.  I vegged on her couch all day and then we cooked out for dinner.  On Saturday we started bright and early as she and her boyfriend had a 5K they were running and then he had a 1K(?) swim afterwards.  We trekked down to Clearwater beach...lovely white sand beach by the way.

(I've never been to any race, but this seemed really disorganized to me.)
Everyone on the at the starting line.

While my friends raced, I entertained myself by wading (told you I had to get in the water) and snapping water photos.  I really would like to upgrade cameras and take some actual classes on photography at some point.

I like this view point.

Afterwards we had lunch on the beach and then drove back so my friends could shower.  Then it was off on a short roadtrip inland to Lake Wales, Florida and Bok Sanctuary.  Bok has the highest elevation in the state of Florida, 298 ft above sea level.  I come from hill country y'all...that's not very high at all.  Anyways, Bok Sanctuary has this magnificient carillon (like a pipe organ but instead of having pipes it has church bells attached to the keys and pedals) and is surrounded by about 50 acres of lush manicured gardens.  Serene, beautiful and idlliyc.  My first view of the tower made me think of Saruman's tower in Lord of The Rings.

There were tons of orchids of all shapes and sizes.

]

No, this isn't a real gator.

Very cool door.

Soon the afternoon storms chased us out of the garden and instead of letting up shortly as they had all week, the ran continued to pour in sheets the rest of the evening.  We stopped for dinner in Ybor City at the Tampa Bay Brewing Co (featured on Diners, Drive Ins, and Dives) and then snorkled home.  Sunday dawned bright and beautiful and after finally getting out the door (someone...not me...was a cranky snail so we didn't get to the beach until 11 am.)  We spent the afternoon on the beach and I enjoyed finally getting to immerse my self in the water.  I saw several schools of minnows and larger fish (looked to be the adult version of the minnows) and even a black and white striped fish.  I've never seen fish in the ocean before, so it was quite a treat.

Yes, I'm getting pink...

After an exhausting afternoon chillaxin' at the beach we headed in for a quiet dinner at home and then an early bedtime, I had to be at the airport by 5:30 the next morning.  After a bumpy flight home I walked out of the Lexington Airport to the blissful 60 degree morning with low humidity. After 90+ with 80+% humidity in Florida I thought I had died and gone to heaven.  Hopefully it won't be another eight years before I go to the beach, but I'm glad I don't live there.

As many of you know, before I set out on my Appalachian Trail adventure I delivered my furry baby to my old college roomie in rural Louisiana.  In early April I set out on a trip to retrieve my son, but first I stopped in the grand old city of New Orleans to visit another college roomie who now lives there.  I first visited New Orleans in 1996, there for just a day (my college roomie was getting married in Baton Rouge and she was showing my North Carolina buddy and myself Sin City). A lot has changed in that city post Katrina, but a lot has stayed the same.

When you're in the French Quarter its hard to believe that the horror of Katrina actually happened. But walking through the neighborhoods surrounding and this is what you see:

No that's not graffiti.  Locally they are called 'Katrina Crosses', used by search and rescue to mark the houses they searched. They are a chilling reminder of that tragedy. Many people have chosen not to paint over the marks and you can see where the walls have been repainted around them.  I also saw several instances where a local artist has created a metal re-creation of the Katrina Cross and it is bolted to the wall in that spot. In a way its the people are saying "We will NOT forget!". All over the city there are thousands upon thousands of these crosses, most on homes or buildings that are not inhabited and/or are completely UNinhabitable.  To say the least the reality of it was very sobering for me.

(Now on to happier things)

There are many icons of New Orleans that either are world famous or are must sees.

The food:

Fried Shrimp Po' Boys
Parkway Bakery and Tavern

Beignets at Cafe Du Monde

This crawfish boil was actually at the home of Shay's sitter

Our 'left over' portion from a cheese plate at the cheese shop.  We were not brave enough to eat  it...

The cementeries:

The tomb of Marie Laveau at St. Louis Cemetery #1

I admit I am familiar with Marie thanks to Bobby Bare and Shel Silverstein: Marie Laveau

Apparently this tomb at St. Louis Cemetery #1 was in Easy Rider

 Lets not forget other icons:

Jackson Square and St. Louis Cathedral

And as they say in Louisiana:

Appalachian Adventure

 
Well, my Appalachian Trail Adventure lasted four days.  And yes, on some level, I see this as a failure. BUT I made the decision to come off the trail after having severe breathing issues and passing out twice. I didn't quit because I was cold/tired/hungry/sore/dirty/lonely. I recognized the fact that living is more important than hiking and that the trail is not going anywhere and will still be there when I am able to go back out.

My dream has always been to attempt a thru hike, not to necessarily complete the hike.  So I have done that, and for the time being I can be content with section hiking. My time on the trail was amazing. Other than the health issues and tent mishap (more on that later) this was so life affirming for me.  I learned a lot about myself and how strong I really am.

At the summit of Springer Mountain

The very first blaze on the Appalachian Trail

My first day out was fantastic.  I felt great, the hike was good and one of the first things I saw was one of the main reasons I've always wanted to do this: mother nature in all her glory.  On the side of trail I found acorns that were beginning to germinate!  Sure I've seen acorns but I've never seen them with little oak trees emerging!

There were acorns EVERYWHERE and you had to continually look out for them. Leave it to me, I didn't see some on the trail (I was too busy looking for my next white blaze) and my ankle went one way and my knee on the other leg went another. So there I sat in the trail with two bum legs.  Now this was after I passed out twice from asthma attacks...but I get ahead of myself.

The second day on the trail was a hurried day.  Severe storms were due in and everyone wanted to be snug in their tents or the shelter before they hit.  I was tucked in my tent by 3 pm listening to the approaching thunder and rain trying to get warm. I admit by the time I fell asleep that night I was feeling miserably lonely.  Listening to my tent neighbors all around chatting and laughing among themselves  was so depressing.  There I was with no one and nothing to do except stare at the ceiling of my tent.

Day three dawned clear and beautiful but it ended up being the day from hell.  First I was disoriented when I came out of the shelter area and headed SOBO instead of NOBO.  Luckily I hadn't gone very far and retraced my steps quickly. I was almost to Horse Gap when the first asthma attack hit and I woke up lying in the trail.  Needless to say that was really scary so I decided to go back to the shelter from the night before and regroup then head out the next day.  I passed out again on the way back. That was when I decided I had to get out of the mountains.  I've never had an asthma attack that bad and I was already pacing myself with a snail to keep my  breathing in check. After resting at the shelter I decided to walk back towards Springer as long as I could so that I would be that much closer to civilization.  It was during that time that the acorn sent me sailing. At that point I could have sat down and cried I was so upset, but I didn't knowing that it would just trigger another breathing episode. I hobbled back down the trail slower than slow until I was so tired I had to stop for the night. I started to set up my tent along one of the streams that fed Three Forks Branch:

Upstream

Downstream

My knee and ankle were really hurting by then and I'm sure I was a sight to behold.  Just as I was about to stake down my tent  a gust of wind blew up out of nowhere and swept my tent away. I watched in slow motion horror as my tent flew into the creek below the campsite.

Tent Eating Stream

I forced myself to run after the tent and fished it out, then dumped all the water out I could and dried it with a towel.  The wind kept up so the tent was mostly dry by the time I went to bed and none of my gear except the clothes and shoes I wore were wet.  It was then that I realized there wasn't a single tree that could work to hang my food sack from.  The shelter sites all had bear cables to hang your bags from (and we used them...there was bear scat all around).  Needless to say I spent a sleepless night dozing wondering if a bear was going to steal my food.

Day four was cold and overcast and I hit the trail after a cold breakfast, wanting to get as close to the Springer Shelter as I could.  Luck finally shown on me and I met some cousins out sightseeing who offered me a ride into town so that I wouldn't have to sleep wet and cold again. They truly were my trail angels as I was a sight to see and smell.

Even with my mishaps I had an amazing time and will do it all again. Now to figure out what's next in this crazy life of mine...

*Gasp* I'm 37 today! Not sure how I feel about that...though this year is easier than birthday's in the past.  Life has been slipping past me for a while, but with my upcoming expedition (Hey I can call it an expedition if I want to! Its my birthday!) I don't think I'll mind 37 so much. Funny how living out a dream can do that for ya huh?

Dreams Really Do Come True

SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!  Its really going to happen!  After years and years of dreaming, my thru hiking the Appalachian Trail is becoming a reality!!!!!!!  I've set Sunday March 17th as my start date....*gasp* that's only a month away!  Oh wait...February is a short month...that's 28 days to go!

As you can tell with my prolific use of !!!!!!  I'm beyond excited. In fact, inside I feel like those kids you see running around Gatti Town or Chuck E. Cheese--overstimulated and hopped up on sugar and adrenaline.  Some days I find my mind spinning in overdrive as I finish up my to-do list and planning. Others my hands shake from shear nerves.  My biggest fear is that I'll get ten miles down the trail, break my leg and my dream will be over before it even gets a chance to happen.  I worry that my shoes won't fit correctly, that my stove fuel will run out and I'll be eating uncooked ramen until I can get into a town to resupply.  Oh, and that I'll freeze to death in the mountains during a blizzard. 

Anyone who knows the South, knows that the weather between Mardi Gras and sometime after Derby is a crap shoot.  You never know what Mother Nature will bestow upon us, you may wake up to 70's and go to bed with snow on the ground. I have upgraded my sleeping bag.  The one I have is rated to 35F but I've ordered one with a 0F rating as a safety net. In this situation I'd rather be too warm than try to sleep cold. My next decision is whether I should break down and buy a down jacket. My original plan had been to wear a base layer, an outer layer, a fleece jacket w/ wind barrier and a down vest. Add a hat and gloves to complete my stylish ensemble (insert snickering fashionistas). I may stick to that, once I get moving I'm going to warm up quickly, so it will only be while I'm setting up camp for the night and rest stops that I'll theoretically be cold.  I'll post my finalized gear list before I set out. In the meantime I plan to squash those nerves into their own little mental compartment and let off a little 'pressure' a bit at a time...dealing with them a little at a time, otherwise I may go crawl under my covers and never resurface.

Many people...okay most people that I talk to...are astounded that I'm not afraid to sleep in the woods and that I'm doing this solo (aka I'm not taking a man to protect me). I do not fear bears or really any other animals in the woods.  I prefer not to cross paths with a wild hog...those puppies are bad news and aren't as 'friendly' as bears.  The biggest animal worries I have are surprising a skunk (Thru hikers already reek, can you imagine adding that to the mix?) and deer ticks. In that case a partner to check me for ticks would be handy...