Florida Finale

For the final two weeks of our adventure, we hosted our good friends, Scott, Dianne, Kaleigh and Madyson from British Columbia.  We began in the Keys and enjoyed a day trip to Key West, some beach time and a snorkeling trip to Looe Key.  The highlight of the snorkel trip was watching two sharks (one 8 feet long) swim below us!


Next, we travelled to Everglades National Park and took in an airboat ride through the "river of grass." We tried fried alligator and frog legs for lunch (thumbs up on the alligator, thumbs down on frog legs!).  Lastly, we biked 15 miles at the Shark Valley Visitor Center with alligators galore grinning at us all along the path.  Lots of baby alligators this time of year.  The birds were diverse and beautiful.






Dianne had to head back to work, so we took Scott and the girls to the Gulf side of Florida.  We stayed on Pine Island and enjoyed day trips to Venice Beach (where we beach-combed for fossilized shark teeth), Sanibel Island (for shells and sun) and an overnight camping trip to Cayo Costa State Park.  Unfortunately, the wind was whippin' and chilly at Cayo Costa.  However, it is an undeveloped, beautiful beach with more shells than we've ever seen and we will definitely be back!  The kids enjoyed setting up stores and trading treasures.

Always fun to spend time with friends.  As Jackson commented, he was glad we got to see people along the way because "it might have been lonely" otherwise. So fortunately, after our goodbyes to Scott and the girls, we had the pleasure of meeting more friends!  We joined Brenda, her daughter Kelli, and her two sons, Gannon and Carter at Disney's Boardwalk.  They are former PA neighbors of Jerry and were visiting from California.  It was great to catch up and meet the boys.

Back to Florida

We were excited to head back into Florida, first stopping for a week on the Emerald Coast for our second time.  It was only slightly warmer than our last time here in early February.  We highly recommend the Topsail State Park in Santa Rosa beach.  There was a nice 3/4 mile paved trail to the beach and then 3 miles of undeveloped white sand.  We took a day trip to the Blackwater River for a canoe float and enjoyed biking on the trails of Highway 30A.

This past week was probably our most relaxed of the entire trip.  The temps warmed to the mid-70's.  We found an RV park on Chokoloskee Island, part of the Everglades called 10,000 Islands.  We are literally at the end of the road!  The lack of services has been refreshing…and interesting.  The note on the closed grocery store said "now open Friday through Sunday."  We enjoyed lots of fishing over the week, some from the marina dock and some from a chartered skiff.  Nothing like the taste of fresh fish.

We had the pleasure of seeing Uncle Art and Aunt Jan in Naples and having grandma and papa with us during the week.  Mom and dad were along as we took a sunset boat trip through the maze of mangrove islands which culminated in watching hundreds (thousands?) of birds roost for the night.  Our big night out came with a trip up to Ft. Myers to see Chris Tomlin in concert.  It was a fabulous, uplifting night and was the boys' first concert.  They loved it!

Civil War and Civil RIghts

     Thanks for following our blog!  We've reached our goal but you're welcome to follow us a little longer while we wrap up our travels.
     We travelled back through Alabama, this time from North to South.  The same storms that hit the midwest brought snowflakes to Birmingham.  We made our way to Montgomery and were amazed at all the area had to take in.  Our first day there we travelled to Tuskegee to visit the site of training for the Tuskegee Airmen.  After that we went to the Tuskegee Institute for a tour of Booker T. Washington's home, the Oaks.  The house and almost all of the buildings on the college campus were hand made by the students…down to making the bricks and inlaid floors.  It's a beautiful campus.  We learned of the controversies of Booker's mission for the college and his place in the history of rebuilding the South after the Civil War.  We were disappointed that George Washington Carver's museum on the campus was closed for remodeling.  Jackson had been GWC for the third grade wax museum at Grace Christian school in Anchorage, and we learned a lot about him through that.
     In Montgomery, we took in the First White House of the Confederacy.  This was the home of Jefferson Davis, president of the Confederacy.  He only stayed here for a few months and then the Confederate White House was moved to Richmond, Virginia, closer to the fighting of the Civil War.  Asa saw a picture of his wife hanging in the house and remembered that he had seen it before.  Sure enough, she was from a wealthy family in Natchez, Mississippi and we had seen the picture there.  They are paying attention!!  We were reminded how deeply some in the South still feel about the Civil War as our tour guide referred to it as the "War of Northern Aggression" and "Lincoln's War."
     From there we toured the parsonage where Martin Luther King Jr. lived with his young family.  It was quite moving to be standing in his kitchen while they played a tape of his voice talking about a late night epiphany he had there.  They were receiving up to 40 threatening phone calls a day; threatening not only him but his wife and baby girl.  A bomb had gone off on the front porch.  He was ready to give up.  Then God told him that he must continue the fight.
     Just like happening to be in New Orleans during Mardi Gras, we ended up in the Montgomery area during the anniversary of the Selma-Montgomery march for voting rights in 1965.  Joe Biden came to Selma to speak on Sunday.  We all had heavy hearts as we learned about this time in history.  This march came 100 years after Blacks were freed, yet they were still not permitted to vote.  And if they did participate in marches or tried to vote, they were kicked off their farms and forced to live in tent cities, in the best case scenarios.

The visit to this area of the country taught us things we did not learn in the classroom.  You have to experience it.  

Arkansas

The winter storms sweeping through the country kept us on our toes as we headed north to Hot Springs for a visit with Jerry's Aunt Rose and Uncle Ken.  Cousin Carl, Catherine, Eva and Anna (from Duluth)  were visiting for the week as well, taking advantage of their Winter Term break.  We had such a fantastic week!

Our first field trip together was to the Heifer International Farm about an hour north of Hots Springs Village.  Heifer International is a world relief agency that provides livestock and training to enable sustainable life skills. This 1200 acre farm used to provide the animals for export, but is now an education center and hosts groups.  Their youth camps in the summer focus on teaching sustainable life skills using villages modeled after third-world countries.  They also have a variety of animals on-site including a water buffalo, camels, goats, sheep, rabbits, turkeys, ducks, and pigs.  Much to her chagrin, Anna did not get to milk any of the animals. A mid-week ice storm moved us from our scenic Ouachita State Park campsite to a site closer to town. The next day we explored bath house row in the historic downtown Hot Springs and enjoyed a traditional "bath" at the Buckstaff Bath House.  The quote of the day was from Jackson during the sitz bath…"Dad, why am I sitting in this thing?"

We enjoyed wonderful home-cooked meals from Aunt Rose's kitchen and catching up on years of family stories and history. On our final day together we all ventured into Little Rock.  We toured the Heifer International headquarters whose design boasts a Leed Platinum certification.  It is such a beautiful center that it is hard to believe that it sits on land that should have been declared a Superfund site due to the industry and railroads that pre-existed on the site.  Just across from Heifer is the Clinton Presidential Center where we walked through familiar historical timelines and marveled at the cases of dignitary gifts from around the world.  There was a complete replica of the Oval Office and Cabinet Room. Our last stop in Little Rock was Little Rock Central High School National Historical Site.  It was there in 1957 that nine African-American students bravely attended the segregated school and the subsequent racial conflict made national news.

Thank you Aunt Rose and Uncle Ken for a wonderful and memorable visit to Arkansas!  Carl and Catherine, we can't wait another 20 years to chat with Jim, milk something and have another bath! Lots of great laughs…we hope to see you soon.

Fifty!!!

February 17, 2013 journal entries:


     Today we completed all 50 states!!!!  We've been in every one, and in less than a year! We travelled to Hawaii last March and we currently live in Alaska.  One of the Markus family goals accomplished!  Next goal?!
                                      -Jackson

We made all fifty states alive!!!  Our last state was Arkansas!!!  FIFTY OR BUST!  (BUSTED!)
                                     -Asa

Vicksburg, Mississippi

We arrived in Vicksburg in time to visit the Biedenharn Coca Cola Museum.  It was here in 1894 that Coca Cola was first put into glass bottles.  The owner of the store wanted this wonderful soda fountain drink to be available for country folks.  Coca Cola ok'd it and began to officially bottle it a short time later.

We also stumbled upon Fred's Corner Pharmacy.  It was an unofficial pharmacy museum.  So if anyone sees the pharmacist in Ouray, Colorado who owns the pharmacy museum, please tell him to contact Fred's if he needs any more pharmacy memorabilia!

The following day we went to the Vicksburg National Military Park.  It was a beautiful day so we biked the 14 mile loop in hilly territory that was to the advantage of the Confederate soldiers during the Civil War.  After a few months of fighting, however, the South surrendered.  Not before both sides had lost 20,000 men.

Mardi Gras

We drove west along the coast through Biloxi and Gulf Port on our way to New Orleans.  We left the emerald water behind as we neared the sediment-filled water of the Mississippi delta.  Oak Alley was out first stop.  This sugar cane plantation is beautifully restored and the 300 year old namesake trees are picture perfect. We enjoyed crawfish etoufee, gumbo, and red beans and rice at their restaurant.

We quickly realized that Mardi Gras was in full swing in New Orleans.  We decided to visit the French quarter early in the day for Jackson and Asa's benefit.  We travelled to the city via the Lake Pontchartrain Causeway, the longest bridge in the world at 24 miles.  We had cafe au lait and beignet at Cafe du Monde and then took a walk around Jackson Square and French Market area.  Even in the benign morning hours a couple of blocks on Bourbon Street was enough for us.  We felt the hand of God as we missed a shooting that evening and a tornado that touched down in Hattiesburg, MS where were headed the next day!


We were thrilled to connect with my Aunt Ruthann and Uncle Dan, their children Jeff and Pam and their families.  We visited for hours, catching up on 20 years of history in an afternoon.  They introduced us to the King cake, a Mardi Gras specialty with a small plastic baby baked in the cake.  The person who finds the baby gets the honor of buying next year's King Cake.  Jackson was the lucky one! Of all of our stops with friends and family, they had the most questions about our trek across the country.


On our way to Natchez, we traveled through Prentiss, Mississippi where Amy's grandparents lived for 20 years. We made sure to have catfish, something Amy remembered eating on her visits to see her grandparents. Natchez turned out to be another one of those hidden treasures on this trip.  It has a rich history, literally, as it once housed more millionaires than New York City. The antebellum mansions of cotton plantation owners dot the landscape here due to the important role that Natchez and the Mississippi River played in cotton export. We all loved touring through Longwood, the largest octagonal house in the United States at 30,000 sq. ft.  The upper floors were actually never finished as the Civil War erupted during construction, sending the Pennsylvania craftsmen north, never to return as the family's fortune dried up as a result of a long war and Union victory.

We also traveled parts of the Natchez Trace Parkway, an old Native American/trade trail turned scenic byway that stretches from Natchez to Nashville, Tennessee (400+ miles).  We took in the Natchez Indian Museum and visited the Emerald Mound, the second largest Native American mound in the United States.

Destin-ation

 We had heard about the white sands of Destin, but with the emerald green water and deep blue skies we wondered if we were on a Caribbean island.  Our campsite was only 20 steps from the beach, and with it being the slow season we had a clear view from our front window as there were no motorhomes in the first row. We all enjoyed the sun, sand, and shells so much that we made sure we were out everyday.  Amy gathered a few pounds of small, white round shells which seemed to be the most prolific on this stretch of beach. The boys did try swimming in the Gulf, but preferred the warm pool much better.  They really enjoyed wrestling and burying each other in the sand.

We explored the South Walton beach areas by biking along the path that follows highway 30A.  It was a 16 mile cruise that took us through quaint beach towns.  Our favorites were Watercolor and Seaside with their classic beach cottage architecture.

We definitely recommend this area for anyone looking for a break from the snow!

Florida at last!

As we crossed the state line into Florida, the boys' excitement rose knowing they were getting closer to their cousins coming for a visit.  But first, we enjoyed a few days in St. Augustine.  It is a great town with rich Spanish history dating back to the 1500's, which is evidenced in the Castillo de San Marcos National Monument.  We also walked the streets, enjoyed dessert at Bon Ami and Hyppo Frozen Popcicles (yum) and visited the Pirate Museum owned by Pat Croce.  Yes, the Pat Croce that owned the Philadelphia 76ers.  He has quite an interest in pirates and the museum has tons of artifacts, some that he himself discovered while diving for treasure.  We also climbed the lighthouse, a first for the boys (excluding carrying 5- week-old Jackson up one in NC).

Next, we were off to Orlando to meet Jerry's sister Karen, husband Tom and 3 boys.  We more than survived the week with 9 total in the motorhome!  The 5 boys cousins got along great.  It helped that the weather was beautiful and our campground had several pools and miniature golf available.  We also made almost daily trips to the parks…SeaWorld, Disney, Legoland and a side trip to the east coast with a visit to Kennedy Space Center and Cocoa Beach.  Our family was able to visit Bruno and Judy, who are parents of our friend Chris (Zuni, NM) for Sunday church between park visits.  Amy spent her birthday at Legoland and the boys surprised her with a personalized "pharmacist" mini figure they created.  The family also posed for a caricature without complaints!  All too soon, we were saying goodbye to our relatives and looking forward to our next time together.

South to the sun...

As we headed south along the coast we knew we wanted to spend some time in the Nags Head area.  Unexpectedly, Amy's friends, Susan and Greg, blessed our family greatly allowing us to stay at their beach house in Manteo.  It was so nice to get back into a school/work routine again without having to move from campground to campground.  The weather also warmed up and the sun appeared bringing back good memories of previous beach trips to the Outer Banks.  During the afternoons we visited the North Carolina Aquarium, The Lost Colony on Roanoke Island, historic Manteo, The Wright Brothers Memorial, and the beach of course.

After such a fantastic time in the Outer Banks, we reluctantly headed south to South Carolina.  Our reluctance was short-lived. Charleston is a very historic city with lots to do and see.  We took the ferry from Patriot Point to Fort Sumter where the first shot of the Civil War was fired. Between the interpretive ranger talks, museum, and walking the fort grounds we all had a great history lesson.  With such a warm and sunny forecast Jerry convinced Jackson and Asa's teacher to take a field trip to  Kiawah Island for a half-day at the beach.


We continued south to Savannah, and the unusually warm weather followed us. We met Jerry's co-worker, Wendy, and her family at Paula Deen's restaurant The Lady and Sons. It was classic southern cooking…the black-eyed peas were superb. We camped at Fort McAllister State Park.  Continuing with our Civil War history lesson we toured the fort, listened to another interpretive ranger talk, and enjoyed the park's visitor center.  The ranger was thought provoking with open discussion of the  issues leading to the Civil War from the perspective of both the southern states that seceded from the Union and the northern states' role. The questions we left with were…

• What if the Founding Fathers following the Revolutionary War had developed a plan to phase out slavery over a generation or two?
• What if Lincoln had not been assassinated? Would his leadership afforded a better plan to deal with the freed slaves?

Christmas

Leaving the motorhome at Randy and Audrey's house, we headed to Washington DC to meet Uncle Kent who was Grandmom's ride back home to Pennsylvania. We had a fun trip with her, and we're so glad that she could come along.  Amy's college roommate, Christine, and her family graciously hosted us as we wanted to stay in the Washington area to see Mount Vernon.  This was another stop where history really came alive for all of us.  The house and grounds have been very well preserved and the tour was exceptional.  Even more impressive were the museum and the 4D film that helps the visitor get into the story that unfolded during the American Revolution.

We headed back to Williamsburg the long way, through Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia's Eastern Shore across the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel.  We celebrated Asa's 10th birthday at a very crowded Christmas town at Busch Gardens, and with a Jeep grill cake and classic Alaskan fried halibut dinner…yum! We attended Williamsburg Presbyterian Church's Christmas Eve candlelight service where Papa sings in the choir.  Christmas day found us gathered around the living room with family (including Aunt Betty's family), sharing presents and eating Amy's (now) traditional Christmas doughnuts and other feasts throughout the day.

Surrounding Christmas there were lots of fun activities with the relatives including a ride in Uncle Randy's Cobra, creating an off-road Jeep course in the back yard, putting a National Park puzzle together, going to Cousin Kurtis' track meet, and walking through Colonial Williamsburg. Grandma and Papa arranged for a special trip into Richmond to see the Chihuly Glass Exhibit at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts.  We also took in some amazingly tacky Christmas lights in Richmond afterward.

Amy got to spend time with her old hospital work friends and thanks to some help from Grandma and Papa, saw 5 movies in 2 1/2 weeks!

We have really enjoyed staying in one place for a few weeks and Randy and Audrey were gracious hosts, putting up with us for almost three weeks!  The grand finale was a lobster dinner with all the trimmings.  One of their neighbors is a "Mainer" and still has a seafood market connection.

Now, we head south looking for 80 degree weather.  We will stop for a while when we find it.