Arrived Home

We were up at 7am.  Breakfast in the lobby.....food bar not maintained well....out of hot foods, yogurt, etc... women at desk too busy talking.    We left Farragut about 9am heading home.  Traffic not too bad, should be home in 9 hours. Stopped in Cincinnati for gas.  We had a lunch of corned beef sandwiches packed for the road, so we did not have to stop to eat.  After leaving Cincinnati, we began to hear noises from the Escalade.....which came and went and .... we managed to drive very carefully and made it home...but it was a stressful drive the last 3 hours.  ABS button and Service Light for  stabilitrak came on as we approached last few miles.  Suspect major problem with the Escalade and may be car shopping soon.  Not the ending we wanted for the end of our great trip.

Arrived back to North Canton about 6:30, before dark.  We stopped at Grinder's to pick up an order that we called in.  When we got home....BUMMER!...they gave us the wrong order of salad and garlic order for one. So, Al had to go back to get our Crab Cake dinner.

But we are thankful that we are home safe and sound. But why is it snowing??? It's spring already!!

Second Day of Drive Home

Sunday, Mar 17
Today is Happy St. Patrick's Day! 💚

We were up at 7am and ate breakfast in the lobby at the Super 8...small waffles with banana, juice, and coffee.
On the road to Farragut, TN by 9am.  Arrived there at 1:15 after a short traffic delay due to an accident....we passed what looked like a car that had burned, but fire had been extinguished. 
We stopped at Kroger's for some flowers and dinner supplies before heading to Cecilia's to celebrate St. Pat's with her.  She had a Forsythia bush full of yellow blooms and  beautiful daffodils blooming at her front door. Spring has arrived!

We celebrated being together and the holiday with a Corned Beef dinner with cabbage, potatoes, onions, and carrots with glasses of wine.  Shared a large St. Pat's cupcake for dessert.  A fun day with my sister.

We stayed at Super 8 near the interstate in Room 126.  

First Day of Trip Home

Saturday, Mar 16
Our visit to Captiva Island has been a wonderful six weeks even though I was sick with a sore throat and cold the first 2 weeks.   The weather has been perfect the whole time....just a couple of cool,   cloudy, rainy days but no cold weather like in snowy, cold Ohio.
We began our morning at 6.  After packing the last of our food, toiletries, etc. we had coffee and pastries.  We left the cottage 7:45 just after sunrise and made a stop at the Speedway in Sanibel for gas.  It was another cloudy and rainy (light) day but that can be better than driving in bright sun.
The traffic was terrible on I75 with delays because of road work, congestion, and accidents.  It took over 6 hours to go  as far as Ocala which is usually only a 4 hour drive.   The traffic problems continued with more delays throughout the drive.  We did not arrive in Locust Grove,, GA until 8:00, a total of 12 hours driving what should have been a 9 hour drive.  We need to look for an alternate route before doing this again?
We then had a problem with checking in to the Super 8....we given keys for room 129 which we had reserved but it was already occupied.....as much a surprise to the occupant as us.  We were then given keys for room 128 which was good.
After we finally got into a room, we went to Gambino's Mexican Grill  for dinner.  3rd time to eat here and the Mexican food is good although the place is a dive.  Short wait for a table...maybe 10 minutes.  Al ordered Grilled Chicken Burrito with onions and cheese with cheese sauce, lettuce, tomatoes, sour cream served with beans and rice.  Al even liked the beans and rice. I ordered Combo of Beef Taco, Beef Burrito, and Beef Enchilada.  Wish the tacos had some Pico de Galo or guacamole sauce.  Served table basket of chips and great salsa.

Home

On the way home today.  We were up about 6:30, dressed, packed, and ate breakfast of bagels and cream cheese with coffee and cranberry juice in hotel lobby.

We were on our way for the 500 mile drive home about 8:00 am.  The weather was a little cloudy but no rain on the drive home.  Traffic went smoothly even though there was some road construction.  Stopped in Cincinnati for cigarettes, lunch at MacDonald's and gas.  Lots of construction through Columbus but we luckily missed the rush hour traffic.  We arrived home about 5:30... no snow on the ground but more on the way Wednesday.
Great stay in Captiva....best ever weather....great birding even though there were not many shorebirds but the brown pelicans in the gulf made up for that.  Shells were missing on the beach but I have enough shells at home.  Enjoyed our meals at Lazy Flamingo, Sunset Grill, Sanibel Café, Jerry's, Over Easy, Doc Ford's, Timbers,  and The Mad Hatter.  Relaxing times at the pool and beach will be missed.  Highlights of our trip were the thousands of brown pelicans in the gulf,  pods of dolphins, eagles in the nest, visit from the Cullens, and visits with family.

End of 2018 Captiva trip. Safe return to home.

Drive Home Day 2

Today we began our day at 6:30 and the second day of our drive home.  We had a quick breakfast of waffles and bananas in the lobby of the Super 8.

Al rested a bit longer after breakfast because he was not feeling very good so we did not leave until
9:30.  Our drive today is to Farragut, TN to another Super 8.

We arrived at 1:30 with out any problems or delays.  We stayed in room 126 -remember for next time.  We then went to visit Cecilia and we all then drove to Norris to visit with Mother, Jack, and Loy.

Cecilia's Home

Unfortunately we had to drive through congested traffic on I-40 due to road repairs.  We never saw any ongoing work but 3 lanes were closed to the repairs being done.  We stayed in Norris until 5:30 and the headed back to Farragut to have dinner with Cecilia.   We stopped at Bonefish Grill and picked up dinners. We shared an order of Bang Bang Shrimp.  Al had Lobster tail with drawn butter, au gratin potatoes and spinach.  Cecilia and I  both had Salmon with mango salsa and au gratin potatoes and green beans.  Dinners were served with a warm bread and pesto dip.  We enjoyed with Pinot Grigio wine.  Fun dinner!
Early to bed to rest for the last day of drive home.

Drive Home Day 1

Today is St. Patrick's Day and we left for home about 7:30.  We only had a few things more to load...just toiletries and food for the trip. We had coffee, juice, toast, and bagel and started out just at sunrise.  Stopped for gas in Sanibel and for oranges and grapefruit at Sun Harvest in Ft. Myers. Today's drive is 580 miles to Locust Grove, Georgia to a Super 8 on Bill Gardner Parkway (4605) at exit 212 off I75.  The 9 hour drive ended up taking 12 hours because of slow downs due to an accident, road construction, and traffic congestion.  
Al made this picture of a rainbow on the trip.  I wonder if there was a pot of gold at the end, being that it is St. Paddy's Day.

We arrived at our final destination just at sundown.  It was a very tiring ride since it took 3 hours more than it should have.  I had planned that we would be here at no later than 5:30, not 7:30.

We had dinner at Gabino's Mexican Grill (same as last year) which was nearby. For dinner I had a combo dinner of Beef Taco, Beef Enchilada and Beef Burrito. Al had beef chimichanga  with Mexican rice.  The chips and salsa served with the meals were delicious.  The staff was all decked out for St. Patrick's day and a lot of Green Margaritas (20ounces) were being sold.  Al settled for a regular Margarita and I had Pinot Grigio.

After an exhausting day, we were ready for a good night's sleep. 

Day Two of Drive Home

Al was up early at 5:00 am which was really 4:00 because of the change for DLS time.   We had left a wake up call for 5:00 but they forgot about DLS change so we got our call at 6:00.  Luckily Al was awake so we were awake at the time that we wanted to be.  But I did not get out of bed until 6:00 anyway.  We ate breakfast in the lobby.  We had scrambled eggs, bacon, toast, muffins, juice and coffee. The area was packed but we arrived just in time to  get a table.

 

We were on our way about 8:00 am to I-26 and then onto I-77N  for the remainder of the drive.  Again we had a lot of traffic and the slow downs were more frequent and longer than yesterday.  The area surrounding Charlotte was the worst congestion of the entire trip.  Also we had rain most of the drive with heavy fog in some spots.  No sun today!  We arrived home at 7:00 pm making it another 11 hour journey that should have been about 9 hours and 15 minutes. We were glad to be home safe and sound.  
We stopped at Kentucky Fried Chicken for some dinner---not as good as Calabash Chicken at FATZ. But it was better than cooking!

Note: This could have been us on I-77 N but we made it home safely.
In the news- "Today (3-13-16) , there was a pileup on I-40 in North Carolina.  Blinding sun, rain and rubbernecking were blamed for a chain of accidents involving almost 100 vehicles along a stretch of interstate in North Carolina on Sunday evening, injuring at least 20 people and delaying travel late into the night. "

The end of another great stay on Captiva Island.   Next year we are planning to stay at the Cottage instead of the guest house.

Day One of Drive Home

Today began early at 5:00 am.   After coffee to wake us up, we dressed and I packed food for the trip.  We packed the last of items in the car as the sun rose. We had more coffee with sweet rolls and left about 7:30 am.  Our first leg of the trip took us to Orangeburg, SC going via I-75 to US-301 to I-10 to I-95 to I-26 to US-601 to exit 145A.   The interstate was crowded with Northbound traffic and we experienced a lot of slow downs due to congestion and construction.  The 9.5 hour trip took more than 11 hours.  The day was sunny and warm.....no bad weather.  We arrived at our destination Baymont Inn (formerly a Hampton Inn) in Orangeburg about 7:20.  We were on the second floor in Room 215 (remember for next year).

 

We ate dinner at FATZ, a restaurant in walking distance from the motel, the same place that we ate last year.  We chose to sit at the bar to avoid a long wait for a table.   The bartender made us some very good Manhattans.  Al ordered 1/2 rack Baby Back Ribs with bourbon street sauce, house salad and Sweet Potato Fries.  I had Calabash Combo-Calabash Chicken and Calabash Popcorn Shrimp with Sweet Vidalia Onion Coleslaw.  The food was very good especially the Calabash Chicken and the servings were very generous. might be more goodness than you can stand. Calabash chicken and calabash popcorn shrimp together on one plate. Serv...More

Day Two of Drive Home

Today began Day 2 of our drive home.  We ate breakfast in the Inn's Lobby which was fairly good. Al had a waffle and I had scrambled eggs with cheese and diced ham and a biscuit. Also got a muffin and banana for the road.  The hostess told us about the Hampton Inn moving in 10 days to a new location.

Having left about 7:00, we were only about 30 minutes into the drive when traffic came to a standstill on the highway and we sat there not moving for about 1 hour and 30 minutes. What a bummer! Our route today took us  to I-26W to I-77N and all the way home. The trip should have taken us about 9 hours and 15 minutes. Instead of arriving home before 5 o'clock, we arrived about 6 o'clock.  It was a beautiful day with lots of blue skies and sunshine.  It was a joy to see that all the snow had melted when we arrived home.

We stopped at Misawa on Portage St. for some sushi for carry out.  We ordered Alaskan Roll, Shrimp Tempura Roll and Spicy Crab Roll along with Sushi Appetizer with four seafoods. 

It was a good two day trip home, much better than doing in three days.  I would plan the same for next year without the traffic problems.

Other notes:
Books Read:
Hope to Die...James Patterson
Festive in Death....J.D. Robb
Unbroken....Laura Hillenbrand
Dead Silence....Randy Wayne White
Whiskey Beach... Nora Roberts

Day One of Drive Home

Today begins our journey home.  Al was up around 5 and I was up later about 5:30.  We dressed and finished packing the last of our bags, computers, and food.  Al slipped and fell on the last step of his first trip down. He fell flat on his back at the bottom of the steps but was not seriously hurt but it scared us both.  After the Escalade was fully packed, we had another coffee, orange juice, pastry and bowl of strawberries.  We left just before sunrise about 7:30.  These pictures were made as we crossed the causeway about 8:00.

 

 

We took a route home  following I-75 N to Highway US-301 near Ocala to I-10E to I-95N to US 601 to Orangeburg, SC where we stayed at Hampton Inn  at 3583 St. Matthews Rd.  We should have made the trip in about 9.5 hours but we had 3 delays ( one was 1 hour of sitting not moving) that cost about 2 hours of our time.  I had packed a lunch of ham sandwiches and deviled eggs so we did not have to stop for lunch.  We made one stop for gas.  We arrived at the motel about 7:00 before sundown.  We got a first floor room but it was non-smoking to Al's dislike.  This motel is being replaced with a new facility so we'll have to check that out for next year or find another location to stay.

We had dinner at the same restaurant as last year, Fatz,  which was within walking distance...just across the parking lot.  We sat at the bar to prevent waiting for a table.  Al had the Black Jack Bacon Burger-basted with a secret Cajun blend and topped with apple wood-smoked bacon and shredded pepper jack cheese and a side of onion rings.  I had Pork Barbeque Sliders with French fries and a Waldorf salad ordered from their special Pick 2  menu.

 

 

Trip Home from Captiva- Day 2

This morning we arose early around 5:30 to begin the final leg home.  We had a quick breakfast in the lobby....nothing to write about....typical motel lobby breakfast.  The weather is cool and rainy this am.  The drive begins on I-26 for 26 miles and then is on I-77 all the way home.  The distance to cover today is 600 miles and should take about 9 hours.   I had packed our lunch again and we did not have to stop to eat,  saving time.

We started out in fog and rain which turned into snow and ice near Charleston, WV and lasted  about an hour of the drive (And I was at the wheel for this hour).  It then cleared off around Parkersburg and was smooth driving the rest of the way.

We stopped at Old Carolina Barbeque Company for a carryout of  pulled pork sandwiches with sides of baked beans and coleslaw  before driving home.   Guess that drive through all that barbeque country in SC and NC made us crave some BBQ.

After eating, we unloaded the car,  mostly done by Al.  We found everything at home in good shape thanks to our neighbors, Mike and Pam, and no snow on the ground but cold.

This concludes my coverage of our Captiva Trip for 2014 but  I'll be back next year to cover the next trip.  For those who follow our blog, I hope you enjoyed our adventure and even some of the boring details that I cover.  Thanks for following along.

Goodbye until next year.

 Crocus-First Signs of Spring at Home

On the Road Home - Day 1

We were up around 5:30 to begin our trip home.  The car was pretty much packed except for the last bags and computers.  We finished loading in the dark as the sun does not rise until around 7:30.
After coffee, juice, and toast we headed out about 7:45 on the first leg of the trip home.

The drive home is 1199.15 miles which takes about 18 hrs 42 mins. We are driving to Orangeburg, NC and will spend the night there. This should have been a 9 hr drive but took longer because of some delays on the interstate  because of heavy traffic.

We took I-75 out of Ft Myers up to Ocala but then took NW 77th St/Hwy 326 to US 301 N to I-10 to connect with I-295 to I-95 then 26 miles on I-26 into Orangeburg.  This route avoided some of the delays and traffic on the interstates and was a pleasant change from interstate driving. 

The weather was sunny and warm .....a beautiful day for driving.  We arrived at the Hampton Inn in Orangeburg ( 3583 St. Matthews Road,  Orangeburg,  South Carolina 29118,  1-803-531-6400)  just before sunset .....was about 11.5 hour drive.  This could become our stopover on trips from Captiva.

                                   

We had dinner at Fatz Café located next to the motel. Al ordered a half rack of baby back ribs with  rich and tangy BBQ sauce served with fries. I had fresh chicken tenders, served with honey mustard sauce for dipping and side of cheesy grits.  We both ordered Caesar salads but waitress messed up orders and salad arrived after entrees so manager apologized and remove charge for salads.  The restaurant was full of energy and very busy.  We'd probably come again but not order as much food.