In the winter of 1990, I spent six weeks traveling in the canyons of Utah and the redwoods of California with a dog, car and oh yeah, a boyfriend. The following year, we bought a small pop up trailer that we towed with a VW Golf and traveled to Ashville NC, Charleston, Okeefanokee Swamp, Edisto Island in Georgia and landed at Mardi Gras in New Orleans just by luck. I was hooked. For the past 25 years I've been wanting to do this again, but one thing or the other made it just not feel like the "right time." So now it is. Me, dog, car. No boyfriend.

Thursday, December 22, 2016

Northern Florida, Amelia Island

Greetings from Florida!

Spent a few hours in Savannah then headed over to the coast to Brunswick, GA where I saw the largest, oldest Live Oak tree I've ever seen. It's 900 years old which rivals the age of the redwoods.











I'm  staying on Amelia Island with Mike who offered to host me through  Boondocker's Welcome website where folks who love to travel (mostly in RV's) offer up their driveways for people to park for free. I hosted a French family in my driveway over Thanksgiving and coincidentally, Mike also hosted them a couple of weeks later.  Here's Mike and  Mike's back yard in Fernadina Beach FL.



Mike's a great host, total hospitality! He's a 6th generation "islander" and his kids, grand kids and great grand kids are 7-8th generation. Fernadina Beach and Amelia Island are beautiful! Endless stretches of beach, gorgeous revitalized downtown and everything else you could possibly want or need is here. Restaurants, shopping, yoga studios, it's a little like Marin County CA without the price tag. And people are also so FRIENDLY! Everyone just STEPS UP TO HELP, everywhere, even before you think you need to ask. 











Today's great adventure was at the car wash.......one of my car windows wouldn't roll up because I have a blackout film on them for privacy. I didn't realize that until we were in the thick of it with the water spraying everywhere  and it was like being on a ship in a hurricane trying to keep the water out with a fleece blanket. I couldn't move cause I was afraid of  ramming the car wash machine thing as it was gyrating around. Post flood...... me and Choochi survived the storm.


and narrowly escaped in Yulee FL.














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9 comments:

  1. GeorgeDecember 22, 2016 at 2:32 PM

    Hi Laura and Choochi, great to hear from you and see your photo-journal !
    all is good here.
    hugs
    George
    (I don't know why this has me commenting as St Stephen's which was my grade school in Manhattan)

    ReplyDelete
  2. laura skutchDecember 23, 2016 at 5:23 AM

    Hi George, thanks for checking in! That's weird about your screen name!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Andy & SonceDecember 23, 2016 at 5:26 AM

    Nice island! We can also see where you are through Google maps which has accompanying photos. Beautiful!

    ReplyDelete
  4. AnonymousDecember 23, 2016 at 9:07 AM

    Sending love on your journey! Jenny Casey

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  5. UnknownDecember 27, 2016 at 10:43 AM

    hi Laura.....WOW...a great review for Fernandina beach! (of course my island paradise deserves it). holding my breath till your next installment. safe travels
    mike

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  6. laura skutchDecember 29, 2016 at 5:12 AM

    Hi Mike, I am dreaming of my return in Feb!

    ReplyDelete
  7. UnknownJanuary 2, 2017 at 5:05 PM

    Laura - just checking in on you and Choochi to see where you are along your journey. Here's hoping that you are safe, healthy and as well as rested as you can be.

    Best,

    Tracy Mac

    ReplyDelete

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