The weekly update: Stranded on the beach

Shrimp anyone??

ORMOND BEACH, FL - - We've checked out the latest Ormond Beach tourist attraction a couple of times since Oct. 15 when the shrimp boat ran aground.  The news reports haven't listed any reason for the boat to park where there aren't any docks.
     The craft, out of Key West, had been out two weeks before it's journey ended abruptly.  Reports say there are over 2 tons of shrimp aboard...which should be plenty ripe by now.  But I got close in today's (Sunday) windy conditions and there was no smell...or else my sniffer is malfunctioning just like my taste buds.  In any event, it seems like holidaying as usual on "The World's Most Famous Beach."

It seems like we never left

In The Garden of the Gods, Colorado Springs, CO

ORMOND BEACH, FL - - We're home.  It's hot.  88-degrees today; low of 70 tonight.  Not like some of our 'cooler' stops.  As you can see from the above photo, we're zipped up with fleece underneath our jackets.  Notice I've even got gloves on.  So much for 'cool' thoughts.
     We left OB on May 7 and pulled back into our driveway on October 15.  In between, we traveled 13,290 miles and camped 136 nights.  The rest of the missing nights were spent in motels or staying with friends and family.
     I've added T-shirts and ball caps and stickers (none of which I really need) to my large collection.  We found new places to visit; camp; have breakfast and explore.  In all, we had a pretty good time.  
    

Along the interstate on the way home

Disaster relief on the way

In Tennessee the clouds dipped into the mountains

VALDOSTA, GA - - After five months of good vacation weather, the bottom fell out on the way home.  Rain and low visibility were bad enough.  Hurricane Michael didn't cause any problems where we were staying, but left us wondering about which routes we should take on the way home to avoid problems.
     On the interstate we caught up to many vehicles obviously headed to aid in the recovery.  The truck with a "disaster relief" sign was a type we...and a lot of folks in Ormond Beach...are familiar with.  FEMA utilizes them for clearing tree debris.  The truck in front with the bucket is part of the deal.
     The clouds dropped into the mountain valleys in Tennessee we were rolling through.  A sort of comic relief for a while.
      In South Georgia, a convoy of four Pike Energy trucks (three bucket vehicles and one vehicle with parts)  headed off our route and onto one guaranteed  to drop them into the heavily hit Florida panhandle.  North Carolina's Pike energy is a leader in the Southeast in providing services in construction, repairing and engineering high transmission lines.  

Hurricane Michael...the good; the bad; the ugly

ST. LOUIS, MO - - After a day and a half drive through grim, grey and wet weather, we arrived in St. Louis mid-Tuesday to visit friends.  And check on the path of the approaching hurricane.
     THE GOOD:  Hurricane Michael  wasn't headed in the direction of our home in Ormond Beach.
     THE BAD:  It was set to kick the crap out of the Florida panhandle.
     THE UGLY:  After the panhandle, the hurricane then cut a swath through portions of Alabama, and Georgia plus South and North Carolina.  This scrubbed our final trip destination which was close to Pinehurst, NC and right in the hurricane's path of destruction.
     Worse, any route to get  home to means we need to cut across hurricane ravaged areas.  We're keeping a close watch on areas with power outages,  Why??  No power, no working gas pumps.  Flooded or blocked roads could also be a problem. We'll wait until Friday evening to decide on a possible route.

Clouds in the Garden of the Gods

MANITOU SPRINGS, CO - - The Garden of the Gods was designated a national natural landmark in 1971.  The land, at the base of Pike's Peak, was donated to Colorado  Springs to be used as a public park.  It features spectacular rock formations, hiking trails and striking vistas.  When the weather is right, the clouds cling to mountain tops and seep into the valleys.

While out wandering in Colorado

Just so you know.....

The store was about as colorful as their sidewalk ad

Hey, what's that bulge under your jacket?

A long lost cousin of the Magic Bus

Bar-B-Que, anyone?

At 10,152' Leadville, CO is definitely a "city on a hill"