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Author: Nathan

Seminole State Park, Donalsonville GA

Seminole State Park, Donalsonville GA

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Lake Seminole creates a natural border between northwest Florida and southwest Georgia, as the Chattahoochee and Flint rivers combine into the body of water contained behind the Jim Woodruff Lock and Dam. Maintained by the Army Corps of Engineers, the dam was completed in 1952 and the lake opened in 1957. The water from Lake Seminole flows through the hydroelectric dam, which crosses the state line between Georgia and Florida, before becoming the Apalachicola River in Florida. Lake Seminole is…

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Stephen Foster Folk Culture Center State Park, White Springs FL

Stephen Foster Folk Culture Center State Park, White Springs FL

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Planning a road trip, or any other project with multiple variables, is often an exercise in flexibility. Maybe you planned your kitchen renovation to be completed in six weeks, only to learn that you need a specific permit to get started and the local municipality has a four-week backlog. You just happened to see a great deal for flights to Hawaii, but you didn’t know if you could get vacation time away from work that week, and you had a…

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Kissimmee Prairie Preserve State Park, Okeechobee FL

Kissimmee Prairie Preserve State Park, Okeechobee FL

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Departing the Florida Keys early on a Sunday morning, we were treated to one more sunrise over the water as we drove across the first of many bridges connecting the chain of islands to the mainland. Our planned five to six hour drive took us to Kissimmee Prairie Preserve State Park, about 30 miles northwest of Okeechobee, for a couple of nights. The dusty gravel road leading into the park is five miles long with a 25 mile per hour…

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Exploring the Gardens and a Fish Tale

Exploring the Gardens and a Fish Tale

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We’ve officially planned our route from the Keys heading westward to Texas and eventually Colorado as the year progresses. With just one week left in our temporary winter home, we’re looking forward to more time with the friends we’ve made over the past few months, another short visit with family, and a bit more time on the water (and of course fishing, for me anyway, while Ashley continues crafting her numerous projects). Speaking of Ashley and her projects, her hobbies…

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Butterflies and Big Pine

Butterflies and Big Pine

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Amidst what has become our typical everyday routine in the Keys this winter, we branched out from the usual fishing (for me), kayaking, paddle boarding, knitting and crocheting (for Ashley), playing music, and normal chores to visit a more tourist-oriented attraction. Despite being one of the most popular destinations in Key West, the Butterfly Conservatory is also a favorite of many locals. Based on numerous recommendations (not to mention a couple of passes from a friend), we decided to finally…

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Somewhere Beyond the Sea

Somewhere Beyond the Sea

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The allure of the open ocean has inspired and tantalized humans throughout history. Explorers set out in search of the unknown across unmapped expanses of sea with only a hunch and a hope of discovering land somewhere along the way. Entire villages and economies were created around fishing with the sea providing – or withholding – sustenance for families and coastal communities. Daring early pioneers braved the seas in handmade boats, from the Maori in New Zealand with their waka…

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Keeping Busy in the Keys

Keeping Busy in the Keys

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Even though we’ve been stationary for the past two months, our time in the Keys is fleeting and our days are filled with activity. From mundane tasks like buying groceries, washing dishes, and catching up on a little RV maintenance, to more adventurous options like exploring new places in the Keys and the ever-present chances to fish, we’re never at a loss for something to do. Although life here tends to be laid-back, it’s far from lazy. There’s always a…

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How We Retired Early and Started Traveling Full-time in an RV

How We Retired Early and Started Traveling Full-time in an RV

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As we’ve met more and more people on our continuing journey, the one question that pops up without fail is “what do you do?” People ask in a variety of ways, some cautiously dancing around the issue, others boldly inquiring in no uncertain terms, but what people really want to know is how do we earn money to live if we’re traveling full-time. Our not so simple answer is to reply that we’re retired, which of course leads to more…

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Living Like a Local on Geiger Key

Living Like a Local on Geiger Key

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As the days slid by in our temporary island home and the holiday season rapidly approached, we found ourselves seeking out and taking part in more local and community events. The Key West Lighted Boat Parade has been an annual holiday tradition for the past 27 years attracting visitors and residents alike, as the holiday celebrations begin in the quieter weeks leading up to the busy tourist month of January. Vessels of all shapes and sizes, from kayaks and rowboats…

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Our Winter Home in the Florida Keys

Our Winter Home in the Florida Keys

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Morning arrived on the edge of the Everglades, and along with it our excitement to embark on the last leg of our journey for 2017. We had just over 200 miles of travel planned for the day, following US 41 on a straight stretch through the Everglades before heading south on 997 to Homestead, and finally spilling onto US 1 which would lead us to the Keys. Neither Ashley nor I would likely have visited the stretch of islands off…

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