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Dive Bars and Road Food Restaurants in Old Florida

January 17, 2008 by Rene

There’s a lot of talk here about how “Old Florida” is disappearing. Kitschy roadside attractions are being paved over for gated homes along golf courses, and old timey family diners are being squeezed out by Chick Fil A and Olive Garden. It’s like this in a lot of the country, as Americans allow national chains to destroy the very things that make our hometowns unique.

We get a kick out of finding new, divey places to check out. In the last couple of weeks, we’ve found two great places that are sadly, a dying breed: Archie’s Seabreeze on Hutchinson Island, and Mrs. B’s in Vero Beach, off I-95.

We didn’t find them on our own; our online friend Chelsea told us about Archies, and the locals we met at Earl’s told us about Mrs. Bs.

Snowbirds: Prepare for a Florida Freeze!

July 30, 2013January 12, 2008 by Jim

When we lived just blocks away from the boardwalk in Old Town Eureka, we would enjoy the summer concert series when we could stroll along the waterfront listening to live music in the cool evening breeze. If it wasn’t raining.

Here in Florida, these type of concerts go on year-round. We attended one the week before Christmas at the Vero Beach Library. I wore shorts.

A couple weeks later, on New Year’s Eve, we had the air conditioner blasting during dinner. We were getting pretty heated. Literally! Just a few nights later, we had to run the heater and get out the wool blanket.

New Year’s Eve at Earl’s

September 4, 2023January 5, 2008 by Jim

It’s that time of year when everyone asks, “What did you do for New Year’s Eve.” 🙄

I’ve never quite understood what the big deal is about this one night a year when everyone can get away with getting liquored up. In fact, you’re supposed to. But I just consider it amateur night. I don’t need a reason to get drunk.

If you ask me, every day is New Year’s. In fact it was Saturday, January 5th one year ago tonight, as I write this. But never mind me. I’ll tell you what we did anyway. We got liquored up.

I’m dreading my next haircut.

September 4, 2023December 30, 2007 by Jim

Jim dreads his next haircut on the road as a fulltime RVer and remembers Fuckin Lou, who gave him a great trim in Troy, NY.

Rene Rides the 1958 Farmall 230

September 4, 2023December 27, 2007 by Jim

At every county fair we went to this summer, RenÃ© would just have to sit on the tractors. And ever since we saw the antique tractor pull in Corey, PA she has wanted to ride a Farmall.

Well, she finally got her chance on the Quant’s 1958 Farmall 230. As one customer of the farm store said, “Looks like she’s having too much fun to ever get any real work done!” One thing is certain, Craig Morgan’s International Harvester is RenÃ©’s new favorite song.

Christmas RV Epilogue: I finally got my Tryptophan

December 27, 2007 by Jim

Not only big Mexican families can enjoy holiday traditions, you know.

We had our own little taste of a “white” Christmas on the farm too.

On Christmas eve we even had the joy of carolers coming to sing for us at the trailer. Those Quants are one crazy bunch.

Tropical Season’s Greetings, Reggae Style

December 24, 2007 by Jim

Jim and Rene present a Reggae Christmas Medley video with music by Yellowman and others including Breadfruit Roasting on an Open Fire and The Little Drummer Boy on steel drums.

RV Living in Florida: Beware of Flying, Biting, Stinging Bugs

December 24, 2007 by Rene

Ah, sunny Florida. The state name alone conjures up images of white sand beaches, sun baked old farts, golf carts, and tropical umbrella drinks.

But there’s one unique aspect of Florida that the tourism guides fail to mention. Bugs! Mean bugs. Flying bugs. Stinging bugs. You name it, this state has some of the nastiest insects that we’ve encountered on our entire trip. Pest control is big business in this state, but as usual, nature bats last.

Florida fare ain’t no Tex Mex.

December 21, 2007 by Jim

We haven’t had any good Mexican food since we left California. In fact, we haven’t had any, or even tried looking for it until recently.

The reason? In all the miles we’ve traveled we hadn’t passed through any communities with enough – shall we we say, authentic color – to warrant a dinner out until we reached Florida.

But once we saw an authentic looking Taqueria, a Mercado selling dresses and phone cards, and our first Tecate billboard in over 29, 000 miles, we figured the food was worth a try. While it wasn’t bad, it was nothing to write home about either. But here I am doing just that.

Entertainment Review: Sun Cruz Casino’s Dumpy Ride at Sea

December 15, 2007 by Rene

Let’s get one thing straight; Jim and I are not Gamblers. The few times we’ve found ourselves in Vegas, I would stand there gawking at the Gambling species, dumbfounded as I watched them willingly toss money away.

But last week while waiting for the space shuttle to take off, our fun campground neighbors Carol and John invited us to join them on a “free” four-hour casino cruise. In Florida, where gambling is illegal, Sun Cruz Casinos will take passengers out to blow money at sea, three miles offshore in international waters. They had a free shuttle that would pick us up right at our campground. “You get all of the free food and booze you want!” my neighbor said excitedly.

Now that caught my attention. Whenever I hear “Free” and “Booze” in the same sentence, this cheapskate gets happy. All that, and we’d get a “free” cruise in Florida too. Ah, the things trip memories are made of! I grabbed Jim and said “let’s go!”

Later, neither one of us would realize that we were about to set foot on a third rate, smoky casino from hell, unable to escape!

Oh, Tanned and Bombed

December 11, 2007 by Rene

Santa visits fulltime RV travelers in Jetty Park, Cape Canaveral Florida

Floriduh . . . It’s A Given

May 21, 2020December 10, 2007 by Rene

Belgium Wisconsin got snow dumped on them this week while we enjoyed the sun in Port Canaveral. Pictures taken in Belgium, WI and Port Canaveral, FL.

St. Augustine, Florida; Low Density, Affordable Coastal Living

December 10, 2007December 9, 2007 by Rene

Thoughts and impressions about our visit to St. Augustine, Florida

I Go Pogo For Okefenokee and the South

September 4, 2023November 29, 2007 by Jim

I’ve determined that if I don’t write something short and quick with first impressions about new places we see, I never will.

There is so much to see and do on this journey â€“ as I told a Canuck fulltimer yesterday â€“ we could stay on the road for the rest of our lives and never see the entire country. And if I don’t jot down some basic observations about where we’ve been soon after we arrive, I will forget if there is any reason to return when the time comes to plant some roots again.

With that said, I go Pogo … we have made it to Okefenoke Swamp. And we have officially reached the South.

Eating local shrimp fresh off the boat.

September 4, 2023November 22, 2007 by Jim

We’ve been doing our best to eat local wherever we go, but the hardest thing to find local on this trip has been seafood. So except for some Walleye in Minnesota, and lots of Lobster in Maine, we just haven’t had much fresh fish since we left California. So we were extra excited to catch the end of shrimp season when we went to the beach in North Carolina!