FreedomWagen: January 2014

Homeward Bound

On December 12, 4 months and 16,000 miles after departing Wyoming, we returned to Denver, CO.

The FreedomWagen performed above all expectations.

We rode from the Pacific to the Atlantic Coast; from Canada down to Key West.

As thrilled as we are to be home for the holidays, Ben and I both are left longing for more time on the road. I thought perhaps our journey would result in a new direction for our future or an enlightened path, but ultimately it was an incredible adventure- and that is enough. It's difficult to reconcile all of the experiences we collected in such a short amount of time. It was one vacation rolled into the next, into the next. Traveling with dogs and being an arms-length away from each other day after day proved challenging at times, but we cannot wait to do it again. Thank you to all our friends and family who fed, bathed, and housed us along the way. We are beyond blessed by your generosity and friendships. What we do know for certain is our time in the Wagen is far from over. When the snow melts and Spring comes, we hope to pick up where we left off and head toward my favorite region in America- the southwest. In the meantime, Ben and I embark for Peru in January and SE Asia to follow. We mean to stretch what's left of our savings as long and far as possible.

As for jobs, well, we will cross that bridge when we have to.

New Orleans & TX

12/6: We left Pensacola, FL in 80 degree temps, and with our swimsuits still wet, we drove across state lines. By the time we hit New Orleans that night, the temperature had dropped 40 degrees.

We were forced to trade in our flip flops and fire up the space heater.

I love New Orleans. The creole food was fantastic. The French Quarter was a little touristy, so after cruising the bars and catching a few bands we rode over to Frenchmen St. The jazz scene here was much more authentic and cozy.

When the Saints go marching in

In the am we made a stop at Cafe Du Monde- open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year serving coffee and french beignets. A lot of hype, standing room only.

We hit the road for Austin for a visit with my pal Erica to see her sweet little baby girl, Talullah and catch up over tea. Also, Austin was decked out for Christmas and we attempted to see the Trail of Lights in Zilker Park, but they didn't allow dogs so we walked the perimeter and admired from afar. The change in weather and holiday spirit are preparing us for our trip home.

Tonight was so cold with an ice storm we splurged for a hotel room. Though the place was a total dive, the warm shower and cable TV was a dream.

Cadillac Ranch in Amarillo, TX

We sought out spray paint and left our mark on this roadside attraction.

(Note: tons of spray cans were available onsite)

Out on a back road in Texas, my buddy Trevor spotted the bus and waved us down. How funny it was to run into a familiar face in the middle of nowhere. We decided to stop in Limon, CO for the night to catch up over dinner.

Northward Bound.

FL: The Everglades and Gulf Coast

Last day of November! After passing fruit stand after fruit stand, we rolled into the Everglades and passed gator after gator. I had no idea there would be so many roadside. When I spotted the first one, I was so excited I made Ben turn the bus around so I could get a picture, but 5 miles later they were a dime a dozen. I stopped counting aloud at 100.

We decided to take an airboat tour through the mangroves. Mistake. Ben had suggested kayaks for an up close and tour of the area, but I had my heart set on the quintessential swamp boat tour. It was a loud experience with little wildlife sightings. The only promised encounter was with a raccoon family- our captain lured them over with cheetos. We lucked out with the only alligator sighting of the day. The boat ride itself was a thrill and the captain was a nice kid, but next time we will opt for an eco tour.

On a side note, there was a ridiculous abundance of men missing limbs in the area. Seriously, we heard stories of gator attacks and witnessed the aftermath.

Avocado the size of Ben's melon.

After a stop in Fort Meyers to witness the police diffuse a dog park confrontation (what is it with Florida?), we took to the beach for some late night star gazing and Cuban cigar smoking.

The first day of December was spent on beautiful Sanibel Island.

This is, by far, my favorite stop in Florida so far. The beaches were a sea of perfect shells. It was gloriously warm. Benny beach-combed while I practiced yoga in the sand.

Dinner bus-style

We took a break from parking lots and stayed in a fancy campground complete with a hot tub and pool. Luxury.

We met my aunt Sarah near Tampa for lunch at a crab shack. She was on tour with Yanni and happened to be in the same area.

Ruskin's Family Drive In

Ben had his dream of taking the FreedomWagen to a drive in actualized when we popped the top and watched a double feature. We even turned our roadside avocado into some mean guacamole.

We journeyed back inland to Orlando for a quick visit with Ben's dear friends

Erin, Jeannie, and family. We felt right at home.

We spent the day at Busch Gardens. Not our favorite amusement park, but more affordable than Disney.

Our last Florida hang was Pensacola. Ben braved the jellyfish to swim in the ocean and I hunted for sand dollars.

Gulf Coast

Our last day at the beach. Bittersweet.

Adios, Florida

FL: A1A Coastline to Key West

St. Augustine 11/23

No trip through Florida would be complete without a stop at the first fort established in the US, and Castillo De San Marcos National Monument. The town was a bit of a tourist cluster and parking a nightmare, but worth the stop for the night.

We cruised the coast, which was slow going but lovely views of the Florida coastline.

We followed the A1A past divey Daytona Beach down the Canaveral National Seashore. Little did we know, the coastal road dead ends. We were an hour in before we hit the round-about and had to back track. Regardless, it was worth the cruise to see Florida's unspoiled coastline without any development.

Viewing an island created entirely from shell and Native American discarded material.

Beans window gazing

Lunch of leftovers, beachside

Backtracking

Down to Boca Raton, where we soaked up some rays and watched surfers try to ride mild waves. Unfortunately, no beach so far allows for dogs. Beans and Isla want out in the sand so bad, but will have to settle for crummy dog parks. We have become amatuer dog park experts these days. We miss the wide open space to let them run free. Florida is not very pet-friendly.

Warm Boca waters

Ft. Lauderdale

We found a sketchy neighborhood YMCA for showers, then had dinner reservations at a little piece of paradise called Mai Kai. As a child, Ben remembers being dazzled by Polynesian hula dancers, so of course it was a priority to make it a stop and see if the magic still exists. Unfortunately, we didn't consider that the masses were now on Thanksgiving break, so with the show sold out we settled for dinner only. How to describe this place …. It is Florida's answer to Colorado's Casa Bonita, but Hawaiian. And much more expensive. I loved it. Best of all, the hula dancers still had it!

This is inside a Ft. Lauderdale dog park. Impressive.

Florida has crazy rules and restrictions. I am not impressed. Not only are dogs forbidden most places, but overnight parking in residential neighborhoods is impossible. We stayed in an absurd amount of Walmart Parking lots (note: free overnight parking in all Walmarts is a myth. Many, we discovered, do not welcome overnight vehicles and they will shoo you out). This night was particularly intense. We fell asleep to an incredible thunder storm (the dogs did not sleep) and awoke to a police standoff at 7 am. On most days we sleep to nearly 10am, but on this occasion we awoke to a shouting police officer with his gun drawn. A shirtless, shoeless gentleman was positioned directly in front of the bus clearly confused with his hands on his head. The shake down resulted in 3 police units and an early, unwelcome rise for us.

What else could we do but visit Parrot Jungle.

Here was another stop that Ben held fondly in his memory of vacationing as a child. We did our best to re-create a parrot picture, and we witnessed a crazy Tiger brawl. Ben, of course, wants a pet Macaw. As fascinating as I find all of the animals, watching the intelligent apes and ferocious felines in cages left me feeling uneasy. My zoo experiences are always torn between awe and sadness.

Last night I discovered 3 things: 1. Cracker Barrel allows overnight parking. 2. At every overnight stop in the state of Florida, the dogs find chicken bones to eat. Every. Single. One. 3. I can accurately pee in a cup in the middle of the night.

Down to the Keys!

There are 2 beaches identified as dog friendly (on leash). The first, Anne's Beach, was more like a mud pit. The second on Key West, Higgs Beach Dog Park, was much better. Beans still doesn't know what to think about the rolling waves.

We spent Thanksgiving on Key West listening to a one man band, drinking mojitos and caiparinhas, and dining at an Asian Fusion joint. It was a different kind of holiday.