I95 AKA Memory Lane

 



Goodbye Rhode Island!  Goodbye 24 degrees.  Goodbye snow and ice.   Hello Florida!  Hello 76 degrees.  Hello sunshine and humidity.

It took a total of 23 hours to reach our destination by car.  We had to stop after 19 hours to recharge. Sleep and a long walk along the ICW did wonders for our energy levels. Thank you Don for letting us crash (we owe you a toothbrush)!  

Music and the memory of music was our major entertainment.  Most songs trigger a memory for me.  Phil Collin's Tarzan - a Disney trip just after the movie came out.  The kids watching in awe as the actors flew from the rafters and skated around the outside arena.  Van Morrison - a trip with the girls where we were invited to "play" cowbells with the band. Rocking Megan to sleep listening to the Eagles.

Then there are the songs that remind us of movies and our favorite scenes.  Build me Up Buttercup - Something About Mary. Hell - Blast from the Past. 

Our only other entertainment were the signs on the side of the roads.  The exit for Washington DC.  We reminisced about the vacation week where the museums were all free and the public transportation was super clean and efficient.  (We had a hard time finding where we parked the car after a week of not using it!)  North Carolina and the Outer Banks evoked more favorite memories.  Kayaking with the wild horses.  Bicycling 50+ miles including a ferry ride.  Lighthouses we've climbed, beaches where we swam.  All of my "happy places" because we were together exploring the world.

Then there were the billboards.  How many tell us Pedro is South of the Border?  Too many and yet we have never met him.  And then the adult toy store billboards.  Who can forget the kids asking if we can visit the toy store?  

Most of the trip was about looking back and remembering.  It wasn't until we arrived in Fort Lauderdale that the focus shifted and we started focusing on the TO DO list.

We are here at the airbnb for at least a week.  We have been to the boat as she sits in her previous owner's dock.  We loaded some of our belongings - linens, kitchen stuff and tools.  As I filled closets and shelves I could start to envision our life onboard.   Are we really doing this?  Yes we are and I am anxious to feel her move on the water.  Tomorrow we purchase the new dinghy motor and install if weather permits.  Fingers crossed.


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