Florida's calling me

It seems that Florida keeps drawing me back. Am I going to be one of those Florida snowbirds someday??? Florida's not the worst place to be, but I hope it's Arizona instead.

My Dad was an adventurer (maybe this is where I get it from), and moved us to Florida from Pennsylvania when we were growing up. Not once....but twice! The first time was in 1976. I'm not sure why we moved back to Pennsylvania, but we lived in two places in Florida during that period...Clermont (orange groves, alligators, and fire ants) and Kissimmee (strawberry crepes at the A-Train restaurant, the Angus steak house, root beer, and a tornado). I've been back to Kissimmee several times, and it has changed greatly. I heard recently that the orange groves are now gone in Clermont, and it's all tract housing.

These were good times. As children, my siblings and I enjoyed the new surroundings, new discoveries, and making new friends. We had no clue what it took to relocate a family of six. This relocation to Florida lasted about a year.


After two years back in Pennsylvania, Mom and Dad made the move to Florida again in 1979. Mom loved Florida. She thought the people were so friendly, and still talks about it today. She especially liked it when you went through the grocery checkout with baking supplies, and they asked you what you were making. On this second go-round, we started in Fort Lauderdale, where my parents were helping to get a hotel/restaurant off the ground for new management. It didn't go as planned, and a couple of months later, we moved to Kissimmee again. We were there a few months before moving back to Pennsylvania, which I still call home.

When we moved back to Pennsylvania this time, I met Betty Jean, who would be my best friend for the next few years. Back in those days, you really only had *one* best friend. The new tradition is to have several, which is fine with me. We are still besties. And get this...Betty Jean has connections to Florida, too. Her grandmother moved there from Pennsylvania, and Betty Jean has now moved there as well. We've been blessed to have several opportunities to visit together there.

My job even draws me to Florida. In the last 3 years, I've worked with three separate, distinct clients in Florida. I have been blessed with meeting many wonderful people on these projects, and now have several more good friends in the Sunshine State. My brother came to visit during my first project in Tampa. He spent a lot of time fishing (one of our favorite pasttimes when we lived in Florida), and we traveled to Titusville and Cape Canaveral to visit with our Uncle and Aunt, and to see the space shuttle Endeavor launch. I have since discovered that both of my brothers have dreams of moving back to the state.

My family took one road trip together, the only family vacation that we experienced together, from Pennsylvania to Florida in 1993. Mom was going to the Chef's Convention, and all six of us (Mom, Dad, and the 4 siblings) rented a passenger van for the trip. I have since traveled to Florida for 2 more chef's conventions. Oh, then there was the year that my daughter was in the Junior Olympics, competing in trampoline....in Florida.

I don't think the state calls me strongly enough for me to make a move there, but I truly enjoy visiting and having this state play a significant role in my life.

Las Vegas - Spring Mountains

I was feeling especially adventurous during a two month assignment in Las Vegas in the fall of 2007. Most likely, the exploration bug was active because of my love of the American Southwest, and my surprising attraction to the city of Las Vegas. A visit to Spring Mountain National Recreation Area was among my many adventures during this assignment.

Mountains in Vegas, you say?!? Alas, before this trip, I didn't know there were mountains near Las Vegas, either. My friend and fellow southwest adventurer, Ken, gave me the heads-up. My client confirmed...the locals call it Mount Charleston, where many of them go when needing a break from the heat (which must be quite often if you ask me!).



So, one morning after arriving from the east coast the night before, I got up at 4am, and took a quick road trip into the mountains. Not to worry...my body was on east coast time and therefore readily able to arise early according to west coast clocks. I arrived just in time for the sunrise and a quick road trip through the area in my rented PT Cruiser convertible. (One of the advantages of traveling often and having status at National is that you can pick your car when you arrive. I pick the PT convertibles whenever I can...they are a fun kickaround car.)











It was cool and quiet in the mountains. I discovered the ski slope and several small residential areas. Great views of the desert below. If I remember correctly, it was 55-65 degrees in the mountains, and about 20-25 degrees warmer when I arrived back in the desert. No wildlife sightings on this trip.





There was an area with Joshua Trees on the way down from the mountains. Like Saguaro cactus, Joshua trees only grow at certain elevations http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joshua_Tree - between 2000 and 6000 feet. Joshua trees have a very interesting growth habit...check out the "cheerleader" at the center of this picture, and the "ice skater" in the group at the left.

I am thankful for another successful, safe adventure!