Roasting
I never dreamed that I would be the subject of a roast...but what a hoot! What a surprise to see all the things they dug up about me. I thoroughly enjoyed it…probably…
2013 · 65 entries
The No-Agenda Year
The route
All travels →Along the way
Oldest firstJoyce Juice
Here's a sample of the hidden talents of the JCAC congregation as they prepared a humorous video on how I am able to have so much energy to accomplish what needs to be…
St Simon Island Tree
We’re looking forward to discovering many new and fascinating things on our trip. For example, this remarkable and beautiful Live Oak is growing on St. Simon’s Island in…
Flat at Daytona
Hey! The little guy said he wanted to drive. As we begin our retirement adventures, Flat convinced us that he was able to drive the van…and from the seat between the…
On the way to Homestead
After ten days of travel, we have finally made it to “sunny” Miami, and Art’s brother’s home in Homestead. We saw some interesting things along the way. Click on the…
The Simple Life
Budget travel requires rethinking the way you think about possessions, the necessities of life, and how you spend your time. Here’s a photo of our van, driving down…
How It Works
Here are some keys to making budget travel work. 1) Look at the big picture. Some days you may spend more on gas, and other days less. One day you may go out to a…
Taking Time to Reflect
Sometimes we can get so caught up in the everyday aspects of simply living out our day, that we lose sight of the amazing glories of our Creator God. We had a marvelous…
Thoughts on visiting Koreshan
A few days ago we visited the Koreshan Settlement State Historic Site in Ostero, near Fort Myers, Florida. The Koreshan Unity was one of several communal utopian…
The First Month
This post is for those who are interested in seeing how the $50 a day budget is coming along. Here’s a summary of what we’ve spent this first month (28 days): Food…
Juniper Bubblers
A fascinating glimpse at a wonder of God's creation. This is a fascinating thing to watch. You’ll need to look beyond the various sticks and undergrowth in order to…
Half as much money, Twice as much husband
That’s how I’ve heard retirement described. Having been retired for a month now, here’s my take on that old saying. First, let’s talk about twice as much husband. So far…
Juniper Run
It wasn't exactly a "three hour cruise" that turned into a multi-year adventure. But it was exciting! This was a canoe trip down Juniper Creek, a seven-mile trip that is…
Proverbs 16:18
Hmmmm….I wonder what is meant by that reference? I suppose it has something to do with a lesson learned, or something like that. Well, you’re right! It’s about a lesson…
Juniper Springs Adventure!
Remember that line from the old TV show, 3-2-1 Contact—“The Tropics are HOT?” Ahhh, not so much. It was even cold in Miami this week. But after waiting in Ocala for…
Half as Much Money, Pt 2
Just a note about my last post. I didn’t mean to criticize anyone or the way they spend their money. Everything we have is a gift from God, no matter how hard we work…
An Urban Adventure
This article is called “An Urban Adventure” but perhaps “Adventure” is the wrong word to use. It should perhaps be “Nightmare.” After having worked hard for two months…
Rabun Beach, Georgia
Just north of Tallulah Falls, Georgia, on US-441, is a sign pointing to Rabun Beach Recreation Area, which is around 6-8 miles west of the highway on Lake Rabun Road…
Wyoming is in Michigan?
Yes, we’re in Wyoming, and we’re also in Michigan. Dave and Amy’s new house is in Wyoming, Michigan. Visiting David’s and Laura’s families in the Grand Rapids suburbs of…
Excellence - The Meyer May House
Last week we visited the Meyer May house, designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, in Grand Rapids. As we watched the video about the house’s restoration, and then toured the…
Indiana Dunes Camping
When we decided to spend a few days visiting the Chicago area, we approached the venture with a little fear and trepidation, wondering just how we were going to be able…
Indiana Dunes Adventure
Look out below! We're coming down! Bonnie and Flat try to make a quick descent down an Indiana dune. Art will follow and try to give a different perspective on the…
Chicago and Robie House
We spent Friday and Saturday in Chicago, wore out our feet, and in the process saw many amazing buildings and constructions. Millennium Park and the Loop were on…
Iowa Impressions
We didn’t spend long in Iowa, but we still feel like we saw a lot. We visited with my brother Garry and his wife Ilene, and did some letterboxing there in Boone, Iowa…
Out with the Old and In with the New
There are many folks who would agree with that statement and who would apply it across the board. There are other folks who might agree with the basic thought but who…
At the Missouri Crossing
After we left my brother Garry’s house in Boone, Iowa, we decided to spend two days in Omaha, Nebraska and Council Bluffs, Iowa, adjoining cities with the Missouri River…
South Dakota: Once More, Corn is King
Our visit to Nebraska was pretty much limited to Omaha. After visiting Union Station, and doing some letterboxing in a cemetery, we drove north along the Missouri River…
Badlands and Good People!
We had planned to just drive through the Badlands, but since we arrived mid-morning, we decided to check in at the campground ($8 for seniors, and no admission fee to…
Living Legends and Deadwood
Strange title, but it fits. Living Legend regards the monument to presidents that made an impact on our country and Deadwood is a gold rush town that went bust. A visit…
Close Encounter of the Awesome Kind
Close Encounter, the movie, was concerned about aliens visiting us from outer space. They met with we humans at Devils Tower. Everyone was impressed by the humans. But…
How Does One Describe Yellowstone?
It’s impossible to convey the truly awesome marvels of God’s creation that we saw this week. Art kept saying, “I never thought I’d see this in person.” Some of it I…
God’s Appointment?
It was coming to be our last day in Yellowstone National Park and we wanted to get as much out of the park as we were able. We had already taken in many of the popular…
Awesome Is the Best Word
I’m not describing ice cream, or a non-chocolate cookie, or even a nice Hawaiian shirt (just kidding) I might buy. So what’s so awesome that it’s the best word? The word…
Impressions of Jackson, WY
Now I know why they call it Jackson HOLE! Oh my word! The town is surrounded by mountains, right in people’s back yards! It’s really cool—totally flat, and then whoop—…
Oregon Trail: Wyoming to Washington
Family—we are constantly reminded of the importance of the family unit to everyday living. How much more important it is to those who are undertaking a treacherous…
A Sobering Reality
At 8:32 AM, Pacific TIme, on May 18, 1980, the volcano known as Mount St. Helens exploded sending ash and mountain dust around the world and killing 57 people. We had…
Mt. Ranier: Another Volcano
Just looking at Mt. Ranier you would never guess that this is an active volcano. But it is just as active as Mt. St. Helen was before it suddenly began to stir from its…
Olympic Mountains
Bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean, on the east by the Hood Canal and on the north by the Strait of Juan de Fuca , the Olympic Peninsula is anchored by the…
Sol Duc Falls
The hike was a .8 mile in through the Rainforest and, obviously, a .8 mile hike out to the parking area. But, the hike was well worth the trip for the view of the Sol…
So…This Is a Rainforest!
Imagine what your house and property would look like if there were 12 1/2 FEET of rain every year! I would imagine that you would probably have some moss growing on your…
Definitely NOT Sleepless in Seattle!
On our last day with Steve and Marie, we took both their minivan and our van across Puget Sound to Seattle on the Kingston to Edmonds ferry. Then we left our van at…
Ferries, Castles, and Gardens
When would a 39-room castle seem to be small? The answer to that question will come in just a moment. But first, let me tell you that after we left Seattle, WA, we…
This Must Be Vancouver… but Which One?
Did you ever lose track of where you were and what day is was? Trips like this can make that happen! Friday, August 30, we left Victoria (the capital of British…
Far From Home
While we were at Fort Langley, two of the docents sang this song for us. Nette said this was one of the songs that was sung during the gold rush period. It struck a…
A Look Back After Seven Months!
It’s hard to believe that we’ve been away from Tennessee for over seven months. I intended to write a reflection on the first six months, but we were so busy in August…
Flat Makes a New Friend
It’s not often that Flat meets someone like himself: a “travel buddy.” But in Astoria, Oregon, Flat did just that. From its great height of 125 feet, visitors can climb…
Octopus Tree Brings Surprises
We were taking a little hike to see the Octopus Tree. We didn’t really know what to expect and were anxious to get a glimpse of this wonder of God’s creation. When the…
Newport Sea Lions
They kept calling my name. But even when I responded, they wouldn't quit calling me! Well, it sounded like they were calling “Art, Art, Art, Art. . .” But maybe they…
Oregon Lighthouses
While exploring the Oregon coast, we made it a goal to visit all nine of the historic lighthouses on the Oregon coast—and we did it! One thing we noticed was that at…
Tree Giants
The California Costal Redwoods are gigantic trees that cannot easily be conveyed with still pictures or even with videos. As Bonnie and I walked through the Redwood…
I Need a Tee-Shirt: “Survivor—Highway One!”
The ranger at one of the lighthouses we visited in California said “Everyone should drive Highway One at least once in their lives, and that’s enough.” We had already…
Ride Lombard Street
Lombard Street in San Francisco is famous the world around While we didn’t drive down this part, we did watch people come down the very steep and very winding road.
Do You Know the Way to San Jose?
That song has been going around in my mind for some time, even now, nearly a week after we left. Undoubtedly our time in San Jose was a big highlight of our…
Sand is our Friend
We love sand! It’s fun to play with and to walk on too. We like going to the beach where we can make sand castles and write in the sand, only to see it washed clean when…
Joshua Tree
Joshua Tree National Park, located in Southern California near Palm Springs, is a park named after a tree that has a very “Dr. Seuss” kind of appearance. These trees are…
Phoenix, the “Wright” Country
Since Phoenix (actually suburban Scottsdale) was the winter residence of Frank Lloyd Wright and his school of architecture, Taliesin West, (they spent summers at their…
Prayer Garden
In Western Phoenix, Phillip Williams pastors a small Baptist church called, “Church of the Valley.” We were looking for a place to park our van and spend the night so we…
White Sands
A visit to White Sands, NM presents us with an amazing landscape The sound on the second part of the video is not very good because of the winds blowing as they did. But…
Desert Wanderings
Unlike the Israelites, we only spent two and a half weeks in the desert. Even so, the terrain often reminded us of our trip to the Holy Land, with lots of wilderness!…
Bat Flight
This video wasn't taken by us, but was on YouTube. Cameras were not allowed at the Bat Flight show. This was a fascinating display of the thousands of bats emerging from…
Remember the Alamo
When someone mentions “The Alamo,” perhaps one of the first things that comes to mind is the ballad of “Davy Crocket” and the Walt Disney portrayal of Fess Parker as the…
Modern Art and the Death of a Culture
That’s the name of a 1970 book by H. R. Rookmaaker. I’ve never read the book, and although I’d like to read it someday, in a way the title says it all. One doesn’t need…
Where No Man Has Gone Before
I’ve always had a bent toward science fiction as a kid. . .and even as an adult. When Star Trek came on the air in 1966, my wife told me about it and I was interested to…
Into the Sunset
Gulf Shores, AL beach offered a relaxing and refreshing opportunity for a stroll into the sunset. Some would say to us, “What’s next?” We don’t have a ready answer for…
2013- in Review—The Budget
2013 is history, and we have now been retired one year. We have been very blessed to travel not only in Florida, but “around the edges” of the US, from Michigan across…