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Originally, we planned to take True South to the Great Lakes for the summer; however, we ran into transport problems so we revised the plan. It’s back to New England.
Starting June 16th we travelled up the coast, going outside in FL and GA, then turning into the intercoastal waterway at Hilton Head. On up the the Chesapeake where we visited with the Rounds and Kisielnikis before clearing the C&D canal and heading for Cape May. Once again we went outside the Jersey coast and up into New York Harbor.
From there we cruised the eastern side of Long Island out to the ‘fishtail’ at Shelter Island. Closing in on the 4th of July, we headed up Narragansett Bay to spend a couple of days with the Prigmore clan at Tony and Julie’s home in Wickford.
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Having covered over 8,000 miles on the east of the Mississippi last year, we have decided to head west for the next couple of years of RV adventures. After the Mahoneys took the beast west, we started in Albuquerque, New Mexico. First we went south east to Carlsbad where we spent two days in the magnificent Caverns….not to be missed. Then west thru the White Sands of gypsum up to the hot springs in Truth or Consequences. Then up to Sante Fe for its fine arts and a visit with our friends the Milders. On to Los Alamos and Taos for a taste of the mountains.
Leaving NM, we headed up to Colorado for a visit with Marcia’s brother and family before returning home.
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After hearing so many things about Costa Rica, Marcia, Kristi, Chris and I decided to take a couple of weeks and explore the country. An easy three hour flight brought us to San Jose. The Hotel Grano de Ora was pleasant, the pre-Columbian gold Museum was very good, the Keynote concert at the National Theatre was a treat, otherwise San Jose is a rathole with concertina wire everywhere.
A three and half hour drive thru the mountains brought us to Manuel Antonia about half way down the Pacific coast where we had rented a house for five days. We went white water rafting, toured the parks and chartered a boat for a tour thru the mangroves and down to the beach at Playa Blanca. Good, not great.
From there we drove to the north of the country still on the Pacific coast Cabo Veles, about four hours. We stayed at a gated resort, enjoyed the beach and played some golf….could have been anywhere in the Caribbean.
From there we drove east to the north central part of the country anchored by the Arenal Volcano. Are Arenal Nayara Hotel was 5 star and the tourista activities were many including the hanging bridges, the zip line, and the hot springs.
We have heard many say that if the next election goes the wrong way for the them, they are moving to Costa Rica. Well, good luck, no what the outcome this would not be our refuge.
We went under contract for this unit, in the same building we lived in, at the end of 2010.
The first part of this year was spent in planning for improvements which were started in March and finished in May….just in time for us to leave on travels.
Click on the photo to see the reconstruction
To see our finished home, go to “The Grove” heading on the main menu.
It’s off to Boston on the 22nd where we will stay with the Dan’s fraternity brother Mike Gero and his wonderful wife Malli. Dinner on the 23rd with Sari Abuljabain and then lunch with Zack Pinnick on the 24th where Dan’s daughter Kristi will join us.
On the 24th we will be with the Prigmore clan in Rhode Island before heading off to New Jersey with Kristi. On the 27th it’s into NYC for some window shopping and a night at the theatre.
Back to Coconut Grove on the 28th to wrap up the years travels.
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Our friends the Geros invited us to join a group of about 20 for a ‘humanitarian’ trip to Cuba for a week.
Columbus is quoted as saying about the island “more beautiful than any I have ever seen”; many think this is Cuba’s first exaggeration. More than 50 years after the revolution, Cuba is an excellent example of what happens when we try to freeze time. Havana is simply falling apart save for a heroic effort by the City Historian Eusebio Leal Spengler to restore Old Havana, a UNESCO heritage site.
We arrived within a few months of Fidel having declared the “Cuban model doesn’t even work for us anymore” and announcing 500,000 government employees were to be fired. The total population is 11 million with government employing 85% of workforce. Concurrently, 192 new positions were opened up for ‘self employment’. After a week of travels and discussions, we conclude this could mean nothing or everything….the country has raised several generations who have been denied incentives, it could be hustle or continued siesta.
The current economy is bifurcated by those with access to the convertible peso (CUC’s)..about 20% of the workforce and those without access. All government employees are paid in pesos that are only good for the vary basics, to get anything else like soap or toothpaste one needs CUC’s…the black market conversion is 24:1. Those with access to the CUC work in hospitality, sports and the arts. For an success artist with access to foreign markets, it’s a good life…free to travel, choice of housing, new car, etc. For doctors and teachers, it’s a disaster as they get paid in non-covertible pesos.
The tips for our guide and driver were equal to many months salary for a teacher. The inevitable draw of a better life will likely convert the best teachers into tour guides and soon leave their school system looking like ours. Enough editorial comment.
Tours of Havana, nice art galleries, student dance programs, dinning in paladors (restaurants in private homes) and looking at the great 1950’s cars. This was interrupted by a bus ride about 1/3 of the way down the island to Trinidad on the Caribbean side of the island where we stayed at an ‘all inclusive’ resort built for the european trade. While the country side is pretty, it has nothing on Puerto Rico where they speak the same language but have toilet paper.
We agreed that Cuba should get another look in 5-10 years, just to see how it plays out.
Thanksgiving was our first HOLIDAY together…the typical question is: “your family or mine?” Turns out there are no locked in programs for the holidays, so let’s see how it falls. Marcia’s birthday is on the 18th where we will be nowhere special….her earlier request was to be somewhere where she would need a passport. How about a few days in Bermuda over Thanksgiving….off we go with golf clubs in tow. Dan’s memories of Bermuda are mostly 35 years old, but it seams little of significance has really changed. Gracious, well educated people. Wonderful architecture and colors. Very special place. Golf at Port Royal, a tour of Pembroke Hall which Dan developed while at Fidelity in the 1970’s, a walk thru Hamilton, ferry ride to Dockyards, golf at Belmont Hills, bus ride to St. George….the island is only 22 miles long. A short but wonderful stay.
Leaving Charleston, our next stop was Beaufort, SC….a very cute town with fine old homes and new waterfront park. Our walk to the grocery store drew the usual comments about ‘are you lost?’
From there is was on to Savannah where the Westin Hotel became home for a couple of days. Long walks around town where Marcia was really at home having lived here for four years. We had a nice dinner with Jim and Brandon, Jim being an old friend of Marcia’s. The Westin golf course was closed so we ended up a Savannah Quarters…overpriced and underwhelmed. Picking up the pace, we headed “outside” on the ocean instead of staying in the Intercoastal Waterway (ICW), and covered a hundred miles that day.
Our friends the Ulrich’s had to leave St Simon before we arrived, so it was on to Jekyll Island…got to love this place. Golfers paradise with four courses on this little island, we played Indian Lakes after riding bikes through the old town that is on the National Historic Register. This seems to be the year to see the various homes of the the Gilded Age Industrialists for us! Fernandina Beach was the next stop for an overnight, then on to St Augustine to see some more of the Kisielnicki family. A game of golf at Royal St Augustine with brother Eddie, dinner with Thelma and sister Carol and her husband Don.
An overnight at Titusville, then another hundred mile day going outside thru the Cape Canaveral lock to the inlet, then back in a Ft Pierce. The next morning it was back to the ICW to the St. Lucie River and up the river to visit the Rapps. Marcia get her first par hole in a round of golf with Bob and Tancy. On to Ft Lauderdale for our last overnight, Coconut Grove in the morning.
We put over 400 hours (about 3,000 miles) on the boat this summer, lots of great people and places.
While Dan was making arrangements to have True South shipped from Tennessee to North Carolina, he called Anchors Away Marina near Topsail Beach. On the phone, before Dab starts to describe his needs, he introduces himself with “I am sure you don’t know me this is Dan Prigmore from FL”, the response is the “the infamous G. Daniel Prigmore?” As luck would have it on the other end of the phone is Dennis Hollishead, ex of Hull, MA where Dan had a summer home for many year.
Dennis and his crew at Anchors Away boat yard got the boat ready from its transport from Knoxville and arranged to dock it at Topsail Beach Marina until our arrival.
We spent a nice week with some of the Kisielnicki clan, Thelma and three of her sons: Steve and Ann, Tim and Kelly, and Eddie. We also had a wonderful time with Tim and Kelly’s daughter Claire who learned to dive from the boat.
On Halloween we headed back to Wilmington, NC to pick up True South and start a slow trip south to Miami. Our first day took us from Topsail beach to Southport, a quaint New England look town at edge of Cape Fear and Frying Pan Shoals. Cool night in the 40’s with a few days of stiff winds ahead as we head into SC.
At Dock Holiday’s in Myrtle beach we get to Walmart for some warm clothes and chance to watch the election returns, then on to Georgetown, 3rd oldest city in SC. Here we find bookstores, cafes and bakeries vs. Walmart and CVS. On down thru the Cedar swamps in fog and rain and into Charleston where the sun breaks thru on the 5th, but cold nights ahead.
We enjoyed Charleston enough that we decided to stay for a couple of days walking the streets, wandering thru galleries, checking out the Aquarium and enjoying several restaurants. Even did a little thinking about this as a city one could call home!!
Click on the map to see the details of True West’s fall trip
Our last leg for the fall takes us through the Smokey Mountains back to Knoxville where we ended our summer of boating on the Rivers.
This time our base is Deep Creek State Park in NC. From there we took the Smart up to Clingmans Dome and also played some golf on an Indian owned course in the mountains call Sequoyah Golf Course….game was delayed due to frost in the AM.
We could not resist one more train ride, this one on the Smokey Mountain Railroad. Not the thrill of Tibet or the cog railway on Mt. Washington, but still good fun.
True West is now tucked away for the winter in Knoxville and awaits next springs adventure.
