Category: travel

travel

Out and About

2chicksandapen

I was recently out and about in a neighboring town. Wasn’t much of a planned itinerary but one that called for lunch at a local spot. Only Yelp reviews to help find the way. 

2Dog was the quaint little place my map was headed to. On a side road, not visible to those that pass the main drag daily. The outside decor had me curious and the inside didn’t disappoint either. From the cute salt and pepper shakers on each table to the decorations in every nook and cranny of the interior. Oh so many to share.

The cork wall. A creative flair I liked. Of course it also accented one of many cute salt and pepper shakers that I did photograph. Not sure what the other patrons thought of my actions but it was worth sharing thus I documented the experience with photos.

The bottle cap trim work in the background of some odd looking shakers. Another creative wall theme. As cute as the decor was, it was nestled in and old house thus requiring one to squeeze a lot into a small footprint while keeping the original charm.

Fireplace were repurposed. Old charm remained with accent pieces and some stone or pebble creation added for flair.

Food was good too. I mean that is why I went in the first place. This was a classic dish I often order for brunch. Shrimp and grits. In this case I opted for the sauce on the side as it had barbecue flavor whereas I would normally get a Cajun spin on the dish. Nonetheless I was unsure of the taste. A bit sweet for my liking but a good quality meal and the price was decent. 8.5 out of 10 on the food score.

A quick visit to the restroom and boom! This crazy naked lady is watching you. Talk about up front and personal. She might have been a bit odd and creepy for my liking but she was definitely going into the documenting pile. Of course the signage on the restroom doors were even cute: Dick and Jane. 

Another giggle as I passed the men’s room on the way out. Many more photos were taken but I will leave you with this. If you are ever in Gainesville, GA give this place a try. It’s only open for short times daily but it’s worth a try. If not in this area of the country, check out a small town restaurant you have never been to. I’m sure the experience will be worth it and it’s always great to support a small locally-owned business.

featured, TBH Doodle Gang, travel

RV Life 2023 Edition

2chicksandapen

April came and went. Missed the first road trip to Nashville, TN while the RV got some sprucing up. Took extra time thanks to back ordered parts. I will get a redo on Nashville though, just later in the year.

Here we are Memorial Day weekend 2023 in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. A new state to call home for a few days. This trip we are parked at a motor coach resort. That means no pull behinds, no tents, and a different setup than we have seen in the past. This facility has many permanent residents and many who rent out condo style. They sell lots for astronomical prices, but the place is a little slice of paradise. Lots of privacy and beauty just around the corner from the hustle bustle of beach goers.

Tucked in behind the gates and tree cover are beautifully paved lots with varying amenities. Some have full outdoor kitchens. Others have fire pits and cushy outdoor furniture. Landscaping is on par for sure. Pretty blooms, palm trees and moss covered trees kept you dry when the light rain came in from the ocean. It also provided tons of shade during the heat of the day. The campus also had plenty of walking areas, a dog park, tennis courts, pickle ball courts, pool, gym and other common entertainment areas. No detail was missed here.

Although there were many people in town there were many empty spaces or RVs shutdown for a season or reason unknown to me. The peacefulness was nice and a welcome destination for busy old me. I walked for miles and miles this trip. Kids were around but it definitely seemed like more older families traveling vs young families with kids in tow. Dog park was empty every day I took my doodle gang, but I did see many dogs out for leash walks daily.

Each lot was slightly different in design. From the decorative pavers to the shrubbery. Some sites even had the South Carolina symbol in the pavement. That’s some extra flair for sure. Each unique site had privacy which was nice. There was a lake with a notice about alligators and my space was by the creek. I watched daily but didn’t have any alligator encounters. Thank goodness. 

I did have a visit about 3am one night by some angered animal. Not sure if it was bobcat or what but it scared the doo doo out of me for sure. I will never know what it was as the cameras didn’t pick up an image but it did move a chair so whatever it was it was big. It also made the loudest shrieks. Not sure if it mauled the cat next door but nobody said anything if it did.

Biggest takeaway on this trip is the amount of motor coaches in one place. I felt like I was at an RV show. There were older units, but not too old. 24 foot to 40 foot. $100,000.00 to 1 million dollar plus custom RVs. Such a variance in price range but still fun to look at on each walk I took. Made my mind wander on who affords these gems. Who lives there full time. Who works out of their RV.

While on this trip, I was focusing on clean eating. Not too hard to do since you have pretty much a condensed home kitchen in an RV. A little planning and preparation and clean eating is doable. Below is a screenshot of one day’s healthy eats. It was fun to plan and prepare and document this trip and clean eating. A new road challenge to conquer. I’ll put this challenge to these again when im staying in a hotel vs RV.

10 minutes to the many beaches and shops, but most of my time I spent relaxing, walking and just exploring the off beaten tracks. No must dos on this trip. Rather it was just do what feels good in the moment. There might have even been a few naps taken with the fresh air flowing through the RV. Lots of reading. Some writing. Plenty of dog time.

I did visit a local park to take a walk through a nature area. I saw the sign don’t feed the alligators but I had no idea how many I would actually see in the water. How many were sunbathing next to the walking trails and then the guy fishing in his kayak not at all bothered. I mean I’m sure I would have fallen in just thinking about who was gonna eat me.

Georgia, Florida, and Tennessee are the next states on the RV destination list. Two new destinations and one repeat. More exploration entries will come in the months ahead as the journeys continue. Off to live my best off-the-grid life, one state at a time. See you later alligators.

anonymous letters, challenges, travel

The Saga Continues

2chicksandapen

Thee delivery of bags arrived from Southwest delivery service. I wasn’t home when it arrived but the shipment was short! Three out of four bags made it. Where is the fourth and largest bag? Why is it not with the others? 9 days I waited patiently. I guess I will need to hold online with Southwest for many more hours to find out what the problem is. I will also need to verify all contents are intact in the bags that made it to me.

1 hour 40 minutes on hold yields a human, but I get nowhere. I need to call another number and submit a request online again. Big sigh. Take a few deep breaths. Computer issues again after getting a human on the phone so she can’t help me. She was pleasant but unable to assist. Seems like the sad story is consistent since my initial delay. Southwest has technical issues causing rippling effects in all aspects of their deliverables.

Sorry for the delay. I get it. It’s the 3 of 3 bags that I have a problem with. No notice about missing the fourth bag which is what is associated with my trip. I will just be hanging out in a limbo phase until Southwest declares my bag officially lost or delivers it. I just can’t make up this craziness.

No calls. No emails. No updates. The days pile up. The hope dwindles. Then I see a call on my phone from Salt Lake City, Utah. I decide to answer what I would normally consider spam. Why it’s Southwest calling. I think a human is finally calling me back. Nope. It’s a baggage clerk that has my fourth bag. Why is it in Salt Lake City? Did it ever leave there? Did they send it from Denver there? I will never know. The clerk doesn’t even know I have a claim for the bag. Just weird all around.

Day 12 Fedex will deliver my final suitcase. It will take 12 days to get my belongings to me. Fedex can get it to me in 1 day but Southwest takes 12. This is the craziest thing I have ever experienced. I will hold my breath until Fedex delivers since they don’t provide a tracking number. I can only imagine how much Southwest is spending to get suitcases from one end of the country to another.

Everyone has that one friend, right? The one that dares you to do stuff. My special friend wanted a social media post. It looked something like the note below:

This will conclude my Southwest baggage series. Hopefully they make good on my reimbursements or that will be another blog series.

adventure, nature, travel

Haynes Ranch

2chicksandapen

I’ve been snowmobiling before in Colorado a few years ago. Now it’s time to compare my experience to snowmobiling in Utah. Same time of year but obviously different states and different terrain. I couldn’t be more excited for this chilly adventure, but I am also excited to share my recap with my readers.

Vroom. Vroom. The anticipation builds. Fresh snow the ground. Grey skies from snow that fell the night before as we head to Haynes Ranch in Coalsville, Utah. The roads had fresh snow and so did the ranch. The scenery was amazing and the skies ended up blue today. The brightest of blues after a snowy 24 hours prior. The first time I saw blue skies in days. It was still a chilling 1 degree at 10am when we hit the snowmobiles. Thank goodness they had hand and feet warmers on them.

After a little trek over a stream and short climb we hit the gateway to the 40,000 acre ranch. I felt like the land I was on was one of the most beautiful places I have been to. We saw wildlife (moose) in their environment along with trails of other animals that I didn’t ever catch a glimpse of. Little and big prints in the fresh snow made me wonder as I rode along. Who was in the area for animals?

We followed a thin track of the machine in front of us. Such a fabulous view for as far as your eyes could see ahead. From mountains to rock formations, it was all spectacular. The way the sun glistened on the snow and the bright blue sky. Peaceful is the one word that comes to mind. Words can barely scratch the surface on how memorable this journey through the ranch was. Fresh snow added to the ride value.

We made a few planned stops for photos and to watch the wildlife. We had the chance to hit a large pasture with just the right amount of fresh snow to get our machine up and moving. We could go fast or round the hillside in our own style. We each made our own footprint in the snow. So much fun to free ride in the snow and make your own tracks.

As we traveled to a mountain top we had to lean in to go up the hillside to the most spectacular view. As we climbed one of the double riders in our group veered off track and sunk into the 8-9 feet of snow. This was a separate adventure in itself. The machine had to be dug out and then we had to ride down the mountain cautiously not to bury any other machines. I somehow ended up transporting an extra passenger down the mountain which was a little nerve racking.

Despite the unplanned we spent additional time at the top of this precious area. The view in the distance seemed to go on forever. This was one of my favorite spots yet the camera photos don’t seem to capture the beauty I experienced in person. The sky showed its color variations and the snow was just untouched in the distance. The tree lines were awesome.

All in all this day trip was wonderful. I would say this ranch made the snowmobile adventure that much more special and the fresh snowfall added to the ambiance. At the end of the trip, my thumb seemed frozen from using it on the throttle without a break and my quads seemed to have felt the brunt of the wind on the ride. It took some time to defrost my body.

Should I venture out again I would add another layer of clothing for the cold temps. I would also invite others to enjoy the special occasion. It’s almost impossible to reimagine the beauty I saw today. If you ever have the chance to explore Utah, check out Back Country Snowmobiles. It’s is a rare find.

As I close out this post I will be cherishing this experience memory for some time to come.

challenges, travel

It’s On The Way?!?!

2chicksandapen

Should I be excited?

Should I still be stressed?

Should I feel relieved?

Day 8 I get my first reply to my case number for my trip interruption. It lets me know of the courtesy credit I may see in 30 days and how to submit claims for my expenses to get home myself when they failed to deliver on their return flight. That’s funny in itself. Not only did they not complete what they were paid in advance to do, but they also held my luggage hostage for days. I guess in their mind $300 is a flat fee that they can just drop to every passenger and hope 90% are satisfied despite the varied levels of inconvenience. My 20 hours on hold is worth more, in my eyes.

I am sure the mom with an infant who isn’t ticketed and had much more stress being stranded than a young male bachelor for days should get hazard pay. I mean I would say that but I’m not the one making the blanket decision of one size fits all! The elderly couple I met that wasn’t internet savvy had a lot more stress as well. Just a couple references.

Day 9 I get the next communication stating my suitcase(s) are to be delivered. Funny I’m not at my delivery address and signature is not required. I never authorized that. A random delivery service is also making my delivery as well. I am not so comfortable about this but I guess this is what happens when mass deliveries need to be made. The communication from Southwest has not been timely or really customer-focused. It’s been more like they are putting our a major fire with a hose and along the way there will be some damage and they will just deal with the one offs as they arise I suppose.

I also think it’s funny that a small SUV is delivering my bags. Now I’m curious to know if it’s one bag? Two bags? Three bags? Four bags? I guess I will find out when I return from my trip to see what has arrived and what condition it is in. I also have no way to update my shipment once the delivery is in process (see below). I guess if I was on a cruise I would really be in a bind.

I may post one more conclusion post to end this saga. I guess that depends on many variables. For now I will celebrate some kind of progress vs. being completely in the dark on when anything would arrive or when I would even hear from Southwest. Happy new year to the rest of the world. I hope you have been enjoying my suitcase saga and be thankful it’s not your belongings that are in limbo.