Our Travels for 2026

January 1, 2026. Started off the New Year the same way I always start my mornings – Lucy and I were out the door early and did our 2 mile walk on the golf course. The rest of the day was spent getting things packed for our trip to Florida. 

A Tribute to Our Pets

Little did I know when I started this blog about the pets in our lives, that we would lose another so soon. Hayley was almost 12 years old and left us on May 5, 2020. Her story is at the bottom of the page....

When Jim and I got together in 1977 we had two animals ~ Gandalf, his German Shepherd (1970-1982) and my cat, Blossom (1970-1978). We lived on a 1929 42' Elco Yacht in Charleston, South Carolina, and of course they lived on it with us. It was amazing that Blossom took to the boat so well. She never fell in, and I guess she went onto land to hunt. As it was such a long time ago, I really cannot recall what she did. I know Gandalf went with Jim everywhere. I think he even took her to work the him, but she may have stayed home with me.  

Gandalf

East Texas Oil Museum, Kilgore, Texas

On our way back to Texas after our winter vacation in Florida, our last stop was near Kilgore, Texas where we stopped to visit the East Texas Oil Museum. The Museum pays tribute to the independent oil producers and wildcatters who dared to dream and pursued the fruits of free enterprise starting in the 1920s. Their relentless efforts resulted in the discovery and development of the remarkable East Texas Oilfield in 1930 and beyond. The museum preserves the history of East Texas in the 1930s through artifacts, oral histories, and other documents. The msueum created a mosaic that documented the spirit and essence of East Texas during that transformative era.

Chennault Aviation & Military Museum, Monroe, Louisiana

Another stop on our way home was at the Chennault Aviation & Military Museum. Jim really likes military museums so I try to find them as we travel. The Chennault Aviation & Military honors veterans and soldiers from WWI through Iraqi Freedom. Through expansive collections of artifacts and compelling stories of the men and women who have served our country, the visitor receives a captivating insight into why we honor our history and our heroes.​

Anniston Museun of Natural History, Anniston, Alabama

On our way west from Georgia we stopped near Anniston, Alabama so we could visit the Anniston Museum of Natural History. The Museum is a nationally accredited museum with the purpose of enhancing public knowledge, understanding, and appreciation of living things and their environments. The Museum preserves and studies collections that relate to humankind and the natural environment and interprets these through interdisciplinary exhibits and programs. The Museum is committed to providing educational, recreational, and economic benefits which will improve the quality of life for diverse audiences.

Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park, Kennesaw, Georgia

The Civil War made its way into Georgia in 1864 as Major General William T. Sherman pushed the Union forces into Georgia to destroy Confederate resistance and end the war. Three years of civil war had laid waste to large parts of Virginia, Mississippi and Tennessee. Only two major battles, Chickamauga and Ringgold Gap, had been fought within Georgia's borders. Union troops occupied only a small part of Georgia. The farms and factories, cities and towns, railroads and seaports, were still intact, and still a vital cog in the Confederate war machine. Why was the battle on Kennessaw Mountain so significant? Let's find out.

Tellus Science Museum, Cartersville, Georgia

The Tellus Science Museum can be seen from I-75 going north out of Atlanta. We traveled that road many years and always thought about stopping, but of course never did. This year was different as I wanted to visit Kennesaw Mountain Battlefield as well after visiting with Jim's brother and his wife in Gainesville. I planned our route west to Acworth so we could visit these two places. The Tellus Science Museum is a Smithsonian affiliate and is a program of Georgia Museums, Inc.

Uncle Remus Museum, Eatonton, Georgia

We visited the Uncle Remus Museum where we sat for an hour listening to an 84-year old black women tell us about her life and about the life of Joel Chandler Harris, who wrote the Uncle Remus stories. I was kind of disappointed in the museum; it was just a small two room museum and there was not that much memorabilia on the characters, plus I was not allowed to take any pictures inside, but I did get some outside and found more online.  

I did buy some memorabilia – a book called The Adventures of Brer Rabbit and Friends (which I bought for our grandson, Justin) and the Walt Disney video Song of the South, which is not in production anywhere we checked. 

The Uncle Remus Museum

Vidalia Onion Museum, Vidalia, Georgia

Even though we lived in Georgia for 27 years, as with many other places in the state, we never visited this museum. We usually traveled up and down I-75, and Vidalia is not close to I-75 at all. This year we traveled to Savannah, Georgia to visit friends and from there we headed inland and stayed in Dublin, Georgia and made a side trip to visit the Vidalia Onion Museum. In my opinion, these are the best onions -- they are sweet and have a unique flavor. Even though I will only eat them cooked, they do not have a strong "oniony" taste or smell, which is a plus. How do you know if you are buying a REAL Vidalia? It's product code is 4159.

Fort Pulaski National Monument, Cockspur Island, Georgia

Since we were already in downtown Savannah, a stop at another national monument was in order. After church on Easter Sunday, we drove down to Fort Pulaski National Monument on Cockspur Island. Fort Pulaski was built to guard the river approaches to Savannah. Named for Count Casimir Pulaski, the Polish hero of the American Revolution who lost his life in the unsuccessful siege of Savannah in 1779. Construction on the fort began in 1829 and by the end of 1860, its armament was still not completed and it was not yet garrisoned (meaning to station troops in a fort, town, or stronghold to defend or occupy it.)

Tybee Island Lighthouse, Tybee Island, Georgia

We traveled to Georgia to visit with friends Jake & Robyn Forbes. We try to visit them every time we are traveling in the east. We traveled east this time to visit our newest grandson in Florida, and from Florida we are heading into Georgia, and then home to Texas. Jake grew up in Savannah and as Tybee Island is just south of the City, he took us on a tour of Tybee Island. Our first stop was the Tybee Island Lighthouse, which I wanted to climb. Robyn and I climbed the lighthouse while Jim & Jake went across the street to the North Beach.

Fort Frederica, St. Simons Island, Georgia

Fort Frederica National Monument preserves the ruins of a British colonial fort and town established in 1736 by James Oglethorpe to defend the Georgia colony from the Spanish in Florida. It was the site of the decisive Battle of Bloody Marsh in 1742, which ended the Spanish threat, but the fort was disbanded after the war, and the town declined and was abandoned by 1758, with a fire sealing its fate. Today, the archaeological remains of the fort, town, and battle sites are protected as a National Monument, telling the story of the colonial conflict.

Mulberry Phosphate Museum, Mulberry, Florida

We see Mosaic all over Florida as we travel around. We always wonder what does Mosaic do? Mosaic is the world's leading producer of concentrated phosphate and potash crop nutrients, essential for agriculture. They mine and manufacture fertilizer and animal feed, helping farmers improve crop yields. I saw that there was a phosphate museum near us in Florida, and Jim and I finally got to visit it to find out what importance phosphate has in our lives. And why Mulberry? A little town out in the middle of Florida.

Ma Barker House, Ocklawaha, Florida

It is known as the Ma Barker House, even though she and her son only lived in it for two months. The home was originally located on property owned by Carson Bradford, who bought the real estate in Ocklawaha in 1892. His son, living in Miami, built the house in 1930. It was a two story Florida cracker style home with three bedrooms and two baths with a total of 2,100 square feet.

The home was quiet, nestled back from the street with a view of Lake Weir, the fifth largest lake in Florida. The Bradfords built the home as a weekend and summer retreat from Miami.

The cottage at Lake Weir where Ma Barker and Fred Barker
were killed while resisting arrest (Jan. 16, 1935)

 

Our Travels for 2025

January 1, 2025. New Year’s Day is on a Wednesday this year, and I will be heading out to do laundry in a few minutes. But upon arrival at the laundromat, I find it is closed for the day, so now laundry has been pushed off until Thursday morning.

Space Center Houston RV Park, Houston, Texas