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(photo credit: the author) One of my earliest childhood memories is a Christmas in the early 1960s. My family made a road trip to visit my grandparents who were spending the winter in Ft. Myers, Florida. When we arrived, their Airstream trailer was parked on the beach with colorful patio lights draped through the neighboring palm tree. Believe it or not, the Red Coconut RV Resort actually still has RV spots on the beach beneath the palm trees all these years later as it has since 1920. I have pressed my memory as hard as possible several time trying to remember more details, but that is as much as comes back into focus. Red Coconut RV Park - Photo Credit:  tripadvisor.com Growing up, we made several more trips down to visit them when they made the traditional migration of the blue hair. Eventually, they began settling on a spot across the road inside the Red Coconut RV Resort's main campground. I can still remember being in complete awe watching the manager, moving pa...

Having never been on a cruise in my life, the thought of it was intriguing. So when we began to consider ideas for a vacation getaway, the thought of going on a cruise was one I gladly entertained. We finally opted for four nights on Royal Caribbean's Majesty of the Seas. While the smallest ship in the RC fleet, it held 2,600 people - half the population in the town where I grew up. Monday we awoke to rain and radio reports of every paved roadway near Atlanta in total upheaval. The typical 30 minute ride to the MARTA station took two hours which severely impacted our chances of making the airport on time. But with the traffic in its current state, driving through or around Atlanta to reach the airport were also out of the question. Once on the train, I began to receive email updates from the airline informing that the flight was delayed. This was both good and bad news. The good news, we would be able to make the flight. The bad news, we might miss the boat. photo source: Life.com ...

Ok. I've been let down. Last year a group of my buds took off to Daytona for Octoberfest, and I couldn't go. So they told me to put it on the calendar for this year. I did. I even got the time off approved by my supervisor and the kitchen pass approved by my wife. Now they've decided they're not going this year. They're thinking they'll go to Myrtle Beach next year instead. So. Who's headed to Daytona? Anyone passing thru Atlanta that would welcome an extra bike riding in the formation? Bueller?... Bueller?... Bueller?

(The Jolly Rover) “Mother, Mother Ocean. I have heard you call. Wanted to sail upon your waters since I was three feet tall. You’ve seen it all. You’ve seen it all…” We sat patiently in the Atlanta Airport for our 7:10pm Delta flight to Key West. The gate agent announced it would be delayed to 7:30pm. 7:30pm came and went and we finally began “boarding” at 7:45pm. I quickly laughed that they opened boarding first to the medallion members and then to all others like a normal flight when I descended the stairs and realized we were boarding a bus, not the aircraft. Once we were a mass of shoulder to shoulder flesh pressing mass, the bus took us over to our aircraft, and we finally settled in for our one hour flight. As we began our final descent into Key West we began seeing lightning off to our left. A few minutes later it was on both sides of us and we bounced our way thru the clouds and finally the lights of the island came into view. As we descended the stairs, I saw the greeting on ...