Wallydocking

Boondocking: to camp with your vehicle in remote areas such as deep woods or desert locations, without power, sewer, or water hookups.

Wallydocking: to do this in Walmart parking lots :)

I can't believe I'm saying this, but I love Walmart. I didn't used to, since they all look basically the same and are all filled with identical cheap stuff from China. But let's face it. They have everything you need at an affordable price, and (best of all), they allow you to park overnight. At least most of them do. You can literally live at Walmart and make it your home if you want to, and that is just pretty darn cool.

Tonight I am parked in another Walmart lot, and I must say, I've gotten pretty used to it. It is nice to be able to use their bathroom in the morning (and at night), to know I am permitted to park here, to run inside and buy something if I need it, to not need my LED lights since their parking lot lights are so bright, to be camped out next to other vans & RVs doing the same thing as me, and to just feel safe. Almost every single Walmart that I've parked at has had a friendly security guard patrolling the lot & especially looking out for us overnighters :-) It makes Dan and I both just feel good to know that we are parked in a secure place and even being looked out for.

I definitely park at other places, too, like the occasional truck stop, 24-hr grocery store, friend's driveway, rest area, park, or forest. When I'm near an unknown city, though, and actually looking for a place to spend the night, I always check out http://www.parkfreeovernight.com/ first to see if there is a Walmart nearby. If there is, I go there. Walmart makes things easy, it is just a safe and easy overnight solution. If there isn't a Walmart nearby, my 2nd step is to check http://www.freecampgrounds.com/. If nothing there looks good, I check my "2008 The RVer's Friend: North American Diesel/Parking Directory" for nearby truckstops that allow vehicle overnight parking. If no truckstops are nearby, I check http://www.casinocamper.com/ for nearby Casino lots, I look in my road atlas for nearby rest areas, or I just drive around and find something that looks good. I must say, however, there is usually a Walmart nearby, which is why I could possibly be considered a regular Wallydocker.

Off the subject off Wallydocking, I do have 2 quick things to mention. I say "quick" because I'm typing this post on my little iPhone keypad again and my fingers are getting tired...

1. After getting my van back on the road and spending 2 marvelous days playing in the powerful tide of the Atlantic Ocean, get this: I drove 45 minutes north and my van wouldn't start again! I know I really did have a bad neutral safety switch, but now I think that I've also got a bad starter. Too bad "Park Avenue Motors" didn't check my starter as part of the 140.00 "no crank diagnose and check." oh well. This time it actually worked to beat on my starter with a hammer, so I'm not totally stranded again quite yet. I did order a new starter today at a local auto parts store & it will be in tomorrow (yay), although I will admit I'm starting to get discouraged about all these repair expenses. It is just a fact of life I guess that every home and vehicle needs maintenance, and maintenance always costs a pretty penny. I am blessed, however, that Dan said he'll install my new starter, free of charge... He is too good to me.

2. I've been getting lots of wonderful emails (and comments) lately!! Thank you all, I love hearing from you, young and old, vandwellers and dreamers alike, every single person that sends me a message... Someone recently told me that my site was just mentioned on the Vanagon Mailing List, which must explain my little downpour of fun emails lately from new people. I just wanted to let everyone know that I will answer each and every single email I have gotten, it just might take me a little time. I promise I'll respond as soon as I can. It takes me a little while sometimes since I am one of those people who likes to write personalized emails and be really thorough. So I'm not ignoring you if I don't respond right away. I just wanted to say that since I've fallen a little behind on my Internet to-do list (something that is very easy to do when you live in a van). I'm heading back into the woods tomorrow for an unknown period of time, but I won't forget about you guys. If you wish you were heading to the woods, too, then no problem! I'm planning to carry all of you out there with me in spirit.

Ok. Ciao Ciao for now!

In a Motel, In New Smyrna Beach!!

Today I am just thanking my lucky stars that we didn't drive back out to the Ocala Rainbow Gathering yet. We would have been stranded way out in the middle of nowhere, miles away from cell-phone reception, and miles away from any vehicle repair shops.

This has been quite a day. We were going to head back out to the Ocala Rainbow Gathering this morning, but instead we decided to keep driving east and check out Daytona Beach for a few days since neither of us have ever been there. It was spontaneous, one of those spur-of-the-moment things, although we are still planning to go back to the gathering.

On the way, we stopped at a tiny little Atlantic Ocean beach-access on A1A so that we could use the restrooms and give our legs a little stretch. When we were finally ready to continue driving south towards Daytona Beach, my van just wouldn't start back up. No cranking, no nothing. We tried to get it to start for over an hour, but no luck. We'd been having some random starting issues over the past couple of months, but all of our Vanagon "no-cranking checks" from the GoWesty tech library had left us totally stumped. Now this is going to sound pretty nuts, but I'm so happy that my van broke down today. Believe it or not, it ended up being really nice that I had to get towed (my 2nd tow in a 3 month period). Thanks to this little "change of plans," our evening has turned out wonderfully relaxing.

I'm so thankful that...

a. I had a printout of the "Vanagon Rescue Squad" list handy inside my van, because a super nice guy named Jerry was able to direct me to an excellent VW-only repair shop that just happened to be only 19 miles away ("Park Avenue Motors")! :-)

b. I have AAA!!! One AAA guy arrived literally within 10 minutes of my call to see if he could diagnose my starting problem. A separate tow truck arrived about one minute later & towed us to the nearby VW repair shop. Talk about FAST service.

c. There was a cheap little mom & pop's style motel within biking distance from the repair shop.

d. There was an excellent little pizza place within walking distance from the motel.

e. AAA's "trip interruption" member-service will reimburse me for the total cost of the motel and our meal at the pizza place. Seriously, is that not the most awesome thing ever?

f. The VW repair shop guys already fixed my van! They worked right up until 9:30 pm (2 hours ago), and they called to tell me that I can pick it up at 9am tomorrow for 140.00. Apparently it had a bad "neutral safety switch" and also a bad connection. I can't believe that they worked so late and fixed it so quickly.

This day couldn't have worked out any better. I was in the right place at the right time for my van to finally quit starting, and it has been so incredibly luxurious to have a motel room for the evening. I can't remember the last time I actually stayed in a motel overnight. Probably over a year ago. And I don't even have to pay for it. Maybe it is just good karma.

Tonight I took the longest, hottest, most thorough shower that I've had in a long time. I even took the time to completely shave my legs, which I hadn't done in a very long time ... We turned on all the lights, turned up the heat, plugged in the little fridge, chilled our soy milk, filled the ice bucket, drank icy cold water, ate some pizza, charged my camera batteries, charged my laptop, charged my phone, and watched tv... all on AAA's tab (thank you, AAA!). Staying here for a night is totally spoiling us rotten. Too bad we've got to check out by 10am tomorrow, although I will be very happy to have my little home back, safe and sound.

You know, it is funny when you think about it. For most people, it is such an inconvenience to have your vehicle break down and have to stay in a motel while you are waiting to get it fixed. For me, it is fun, and I've got nothing better going on at the current time. Instead of being an interruption to a vacation, this is a little vacation for me. I'm now only a few blocks away from the Atlantic Ocean, in a neat little town I've never been to, and I get a private bathroom for the evening, plus power outlets, lights, heat, a running refrigerator, ice, etc. .... Since living in a vehicle, I've become more aware of (and appreciative of) many little things in life that I used to take for granted.

Anyhow, now that my van will be back up and running again, I might hang out here for a few more days & see what there is to see in this area. It is supposed to be warm and sunny all week, and I'm really loving the sound of the ocean. Hmm. Woods? or Ocean? I'm torn. I think I'll beach it for a couple days and return to the woods for the weekend. Dan & I both definitely want to go back to catch the end of the Ocala National Forest gathering, and this weekend is when it will get busy here, anyway, since Friday is the start of Bike Week in Daytona Beach.

More and more, I just adore having my home on wheels. I can end up wherever my will wanders, or wherever my wheels will allow (without breaking down). I love being in a motel for a night, but I love my van even more. I can't wait to pick it back up in the morning and continue on my way.

Rainbow Gathering Intermission

We have been out in the woods for a week so far, and it has been truly refreshing to get away from cell phone towers, traffic, cookie-cutter businesses, noise, and city-lights. It is so simple and wonderful to drive way out into nature, park my van, and kick back to relax with the trees, the wind, the remarkable quiet, and the amazingly visible starlit sky at night.

It feels so luxurious to be on National Forest land. We've been lounging with the pop-top up and the slider open. We've been using our solar shower for private outdoor showers in the trees, and it is so convenient to just dig ourselves a pit toilet in the woods. Our current toilet out in there is about 8 inches wide, maybe 1 1/2 feet deep, and a few feet long. It is just perfect for squatting over and filling back in as we use it.

Tonight we have ventured back into modern society and are parked at a Walmart so that we can browse the HUGE Webster Flea Market tomorrow. It is only on Mondays, and it is the best flea market I have ever been to. I LOVE flea markets with a passion. They are right up there on the top of my list next to garage sales, thrift stores, and old engine shows!!

After we hit up the flea market tomorrow, we will be headed back out to the gathering to enjoy our remaining week of fellowship & fun with our new friends & family in the wilderness. After it is all said and done (and I've got some good wi-fi connection on my laptop), I'll give you an over-view of my first Rainbow Gathering. Just wanted to say hi to let everyone that I'm still alive and loving it out in the wilderness.

Ocala National Forest - Regional Rainbow Gathering

Just to let you all know, Dan & I have decided to leave Tampa now that we are both done working. Our plan is to run off into the Ocala National Forest for 2 weeks in order to get away from this hectic city life for a while... There is a regional Rainbow Gathering going on out there until March 1st, and I've never been to one, so this is as good a time to go as any. I'm betting there won't be any Internet reception out there, so I will be taking this time to focus on my connection with nature, free of electronics. I'm sure I'll be leaving the National Forest now and then for supplies, but I'm not sure how frequently that will be.

For more about the Rainbow Gathering, here are a few links:

1. Florida Gatherings: http://www.flrainbow.org/
2. Rainbow Family of Living Light - The Annual World Family Gathering (National Rainbow Gathering)
3. WelcomeHome.org - Unofficial Homepage for the Rainbow Family of Living Light
4. Wikipedia - About the Rainbow Gathering

If you are vandwelling in Florida right now (or anywhere nearby), come check it out if you haven't got anything else planned. All you need to bring with you is a bowl, an eating utensil, and lots of love.

Now is my time to take a little 2-week break from everything, but I will definitely resume posting again as soon as I can :)

My Routine While Working

I have officially completed my one week of temporary work that I found using Craigslist. It was a serious Valentine's week fruit frenzy, consumed with preparing melon, kale, & strawberries, wrapping fruit arrangements, boxing up chocolate-dipped berries, loading trucks, doing dishes, and so much more. It was work, but it was wonderful. After heading out of there today with 320 bucks in my pocket, new job experience, fun memories, and an open invitation back, I felt like a million bucks. I felt complete and accomplished, knowing that I had done something really worthwhile this week. I had given a new job my 110%, helped create stunning edible art that made their recipients happy, met a group of extremely kind & hardworking people, and completed every task that they had needed me for. I truly feel blessed to have stumbled upon that job! It was everything I love doing and more: working with my hands, being precise & detail conscious, multi-tasking, and being surrounded by colorful, beautiful, delicious fruit... I especially lucked out that their kitchen crew was so friendly and fun. They felt like family after only 6 straight days, and they gave me an incredible parting Valentine's Day gift (thank you Diane, Kathy, Dawn, & Brian)...

I have no problems working while living in a vehicle, but that is because I'm quite used to it, and I try to plan everything ahead. I actually prefer living in a vehicle while working, because you can just park at your job overnight, allowing you to sleep in later & save on gas, among other conveniences. Every working situation is different when it comes to your parking arrangement, shower set-up, etc., but for this particular job, here is a description of what my typical routine was.

Parking:

For the first few days, I parked about 20 minutes away in a friend's driveway. Work started daily at 7am, so I got up at 6:00 every morning, got ready inside my van, headed out by 6:30, and arrived at the job 10 minutes early. I definitely felt like part of the busy-city job-commute, jumping on the freeway every morning with the intense mad-morning traffic rush. Driving to work was always this fast blur of red brake-lights, tail-lights, speed-racers, and congestion. Driving in AM-hour work-traffic like that is not my thing. I am much more of a country mouse than a city mouse. So after 3 days of the Tampa workforce commute, I decided to change my routine. For my last 3 days of work, I just kept my van parked in the lot where I was working. That was just wonderful, because it was a shared business lot that contained a busy supermarket, so there were other cars parked there all night as well. Nobody bothered me or my van a bit, and I didn't even change parking spots because I was just so lazy and tired when I got out work. Parking there allowed me to sleep in half an hour later each morning, still get ready inside my van, and then just walk only 30 seconds to get into work.

Nightly Prep:

Every night before I went to bed, I made sure to set out everything I needed for the next morning. That made getting ready much easier each morning since I'm always a little sluggish when I first wake up. I have a tendency to hit snooze several times before getting out of bed (using the alarm feature on my iPhone) if it is still dark outside ...

I keep all my clothes folded neatly inside plastic totes so they don't end up all wrinkly. I laid out the clothes that I wanted to wear the next day, and I put my vitamins in a little plastic baggie to take to work with me. If I needed to make a lunch for the next day, I made it the night before. I also made sure that I had my laundry done ahead of time and that I had something in my van to eat for breakfast. I emptied out my portable urinal so it wouldn't be full when I tried to use it in the morning while half asleep, and I made sure that I had enough water for the next morning: to drink, rinse out my cereal bowl, brush my teeth, and things like that. Usually I've got at least one extra jug full of water, but I double-checked at night, just in case. It is no fun to run behind in the morning or make things harder for yourself when there is no need for that. Just plan ahead. The place I worked this week was right next to a supermarket, which was wonderful. It was easy for me to re-fill my gallon water jugs in the evening for only 30 cents each.

Going to the Bathroom:

When I wake up, I need to go to the bathroom. Doesn't everyone? For going #1, I use a Lady J (like a funnel for a woman to easily pee into a bottle) and the complementary portable urinal (both of these gadgets are essential for me, I use them all the time!!). Even if I am parked outside of a 24-hour Walmart, I prefer to just pee inside my van, using my Lady J and my leak-proof bottle. For going #2, I've got a coffee can & plastic bags inside my van (just dispose of them in public garbage cans), but I hardly ever use that method. I'd rather sit on a toilet, so when it comes to going #2, I look for a bathroom. If I am parked outside of a Walmart or truck-stop, I just go inside and use the bathroom first thing in the morning. For the first 3 days of this work week, when I woke up parked in my friend's driveway, I used the toilet that is hooked upto sewer in his backyard (to view this awesome toilet, check out the image in my past posting). For the last 3 days of work, when I was parked in the job's parking lot, I just waited until I actually went into work and used the bathroom there. No biggie. You never really have to worry about it that much. Just get yourself a pee bottle and park somewhere where a public bathroom is pretty close nearby. When you've gotta go, you've gotta go, and something will come up. There are bathrooms (and bushes) everywhere. Just keep toilet paper inside your van :)

Showering:

For different options of where to get showers, first check out this earlier posting where I gave various possibilities. My favorite places to shower are at community swimming pools/aquatic centers, state or city parks, and friend's houses. If you've got a long-term job or are staying in one place for awhile, a fitness-center or gym is a terrific shower option.

This week, I washed my hair 3 times, but only showered twice. The first time I showered, I used a friend's house. The second time I showered, I used a solar-shower in my friend's backyard. The next time I desperately needed a shower (but one wasn't readily accessible), I simply washed my hair in the bathroom sink at the place I was working. The owner was extremely nice about it, he was more than willing to let me clean up in there (I asked first) :)

Solar showers are the best shower option, though, in my opinion. I love solar showers because showering outdoors is the most refreshing feeling ever (on a warm day), and using the sun to heat up your water is free, environmentally friendly, and efficient.

If you don't have time to wait for the sun to heat up your solar shower (or if it is a cloudy day), you can just fill up your solar shower with hot water from a sink in a bathroom somewhere. Fast-food restaurant bathrooms work well because the bathrooms are usually private, with only one door that you can lock. Put the solar shower in a backpack, go into a bathroom, and fill er up (as much as you can)!

Dan actually filled up our solar shower in a Wendy's bathroom the other day and took a shower inside my van. He bought an inflatable kid's pool (4 feet across) at Walmart, and it fits perfectly on the floor inside my van. He hung the solar shower on the bar for the pop-top, sat down in the kiddie pool, and showered. It worked great! I'm going to try it soon :) Then he just emptied the pool out into a nearby patch of grass.

Working while living with someone:

Dan & I both managed just fine for the week while I was working. He slept right thru me getting ready for work every morning, and he stayed asleep while I drove us both to my job. He stayed with the van, so he was able to drive somewhere if he needed to, and he always made sure to have the van back in the lot by the time I got out of work.

My morning getting-ready routine:

Hit snooze a few times, get out of bed, turn on my bright little LED lantern, pop in my contacts, wipe my face off with some witch hazel on a cotton ball, eat a chocolate calcium chew, pee into my portable urinal, wash my hands with an antibacterial wet-wipe, eat a bowl of cereal (with semi-warm soy milk), swish some water around in my bowl to rinse it (dump the water on the ground outside the van), dry out the bowl and spoon with my dish-towel, get dressed, drink some water, take a couple vitamins, brush my hair, brush my teeth, rinse out my mouth with water, spit it on the ground outside the van, put my phone in its holster on my hip pocket, put my ID in my back pocket, slip on my shoes, write Dan a little note, grab my key, lock up the van, and head out to work for the day.

It really is as easy as 123. There is a simple solution for just about everything, you just need to be optimistic, flexible, and open-minded. I tend to rough it a little bit, but it works well for me, and I have fun doing it. That is the most important thing. Just to have fun. If you aren't enjoying what you are doing, then perhaps you should be doing something else, or you should try to do what you are doing a little bit differently. Trial and error is how we all learn, and eventually you will get down the routine that works best for you.

Volkswagen Pumpkin

Our new friend Zak recently picked up an awesome 1974 VW Beetle for 800 bucks. It looks like a giant pumpkin and I love it. It runs a little rough, but with a little love, I'm sure he'll get it going good.

Quick Note on Cheap Haircuts

In one of my earlier posts, I gave some suggestions for how to get inexpensive haircuts and massages. I have never been daring enough to cut my own hair (even though it is long, extremely straight, and probably easy to cut), but now believe I can do it (and so can you).

Jana left a comment on that post I wrote regarding haircuts, and she provided some video links that I finally got around to watching. I think they are just terrific! Thanks, Jana, I'm seriously going to try and cut my own hair the next time I need a trim, and I'm actually excited about it!

The lady in these videos seems like a serious hippy. I think it is just great. She is very to-the-point and does a good job of explaining. If you would like to cut your own hair, definitely check out her videos. Be sure to take Jana's advice and watch the videos all the way through, because some have additional tips at the very end.

There are videos for 3 different cuts - the Blunt Cut (straight across), Layered Cut (easiest cut to do), and the V-Cut. I'm eventually going to try the layered cut on myself, and I can't wait to see how it goes. Whenever I attempt it, I will let you know.

Here are the links to the videos on her actual site:
1. Blunt Cut - http://www.lookgreat-loseweight-savemoney.com/trim-your-hair.html

2. Layered Cut - http://www.lookgreat-loseweight-savemoney.com/long-layered-haircut.html

3. V-Cut - http://www.lookgreat-loseweight-savemoney.com/long-haircut.html

If you prefer YouTube, here are the direct YouTube links to the same videos, although the website links above provide some written info:
1. Blunt Cut - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fUTpkP-4tlk

2. Layered Cut - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gNzLZ7H7FfI

3. V-Cut - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lq-TwajbJpY

This lady really does give great visuals, and she makes it obvious that it is extremely simple to cut your own hair. Plus, I've noticed that when I get my hair layered in one salon, the next time I get it layered in a different salon, they don't necessarily trim the ends of the same layers, resulting in split-ends that remain all over the place. If I layer my own hair the same way every time (basically pulling it into a ponytail on top of my head & cutting about 2 inches off the top), then I think I am actually guaranteed to kill all the split ends every single time.

Want a cheap haircut from someone else? Try a cosmetology school or beauty academy.

Want a haircut for free? Try it yourself!

Key West, Florida

I didn't have many opportunities to post while I was recently down in the Keys for a week, and I've got some more pictures to share before too much time passes... Enjoy!

A Psychic Reading business in the middle of the Keys. It had a solid concrete roof! I bet they could predict a hurricane in their future and took preventative measures :)

Also in the middle of the Keys, this foot-bridge (the old bridge) runs parallel to U.S. 1.

I thought the giant tree growing on it was pretty impressive.

Remember those obscene bathroom photos I took at a bar in Tampa? Check out this bar bathroom that I came across in Key West! Definitely the opposite.

(in my stall)

(by the sinks)

(and on the door)

The next photos are of my favorite performers this year in Mallory Square, right during the nightly Sunset Celebration. Other misc. performers included fire breathers, a juggler on a super high unicycle, excellent fire jugglers, dog tricks, a bagpipe player, all sort of wild stuff. These particular guys had the whole package. They were funny, well rehearsed, professional, and utterly amazing. One of them could juggle knives while standing on one leg, on top of the other one's head. He also balanced upside-down, on his own head, on top of the other one's head.

The final image for today is headed away from Key West... I wasn't driving, this was when I was eagle-eyein for alligators.

Beach Bummin' It & Collecting Shells

If I had any rhythm, I would do a little dance for you to show how excited I am that Florida has finally gotten a heat~wave of wonderful weather. Please don't hate me now, but I have officially broken out the bikini bathing suit, tanktops, flip-flops, and shorts... I even coated myself in sunscreen, with constant re-application, and still managed to sunburn my shoulders and my right thigh (not the left, though, somehow I screwed that up).

I spent the last two days gloriously doing nothing at the beach. Sunday was spent at Delnor-Wiggins State Park in Naples, and Monday was spent walking up North Clearwater Beach (all the way to Caladesi Island State Park...). Hopping towns, hopping beaches. I love it more than anything. Both days had to be at least 80 degrees and sunny, with that perfect breeze that rolls right in off the Gulf.

In Naples, we simply laid there all day with our friend Nate, eating strawberries, blueberries, and an occasional Pringle potato chip (loaded baked-potato flavor). Every once in a while my body would get warm enough and my mind would get courageous enough to wade way out into the icy-cold saltwater. Once the numbness set in, it felt incredibly refreshing, and I must have looked pretty daring to be out there because nobody else was swimming. I tried to make it out to the pelicans that kept swooping down for fish, but they always managed to get away from me. All I probably would have done if I made it up close to one is stare at it until it flew away anyway. It just would have been cool to get a closer look since I find wildlife so intriguing. Nate said that there are normally dolphins swimming there and that he even saw a shark swim by last year. No dolphins or sharks this past Sunday, though. Just pelicans, giant turtles, annoying seagulls, tiny little beach-birds that run along together in a little flock, and tons & tons of humans (I much prefer the wildlife).

The next day (seeing as how two beautiful days were back-to-back & I hadn't yet gotten my fill of the beach) we drove up to Clearwater Beach (3 hours north of Naples), as far north as we could go and still park legally near the beach for several hours. We drove until the road ended, and then we turned around & back-tracked until we found an empty parking space with a parking meter (1.00/hour & a 5 hour max). It was right in the middle of the ritzy residential neighborhood that lined the beach. We put 5.00 in the meter and set out for the day with our small backpacks which were empty (for shell-collecting) other than my keys, camera, sunscreen, a granola bar, water, and a quart of strawberries. We spent all 5 hours on the beach, from 11am until 4 in the afternoon, just walking along where very few people probably ever walk. We made it all the way out to Caladesi Island, which they advertise is only accessible by paying 5.00 to enter Honeymoon Island State Park & then taking a 10.00 ferry ride out to Caladesi Island. Nonsense! It isn't really an island at all, it is connected to Clearwater Beach by a scenic, approximately 3 mile walk. Sure we paid 5.00 to park, but we didn't have to spend 10.00 for a ferry. We got some fun, sun, exercise, and.....shells!!!

Even though it was still along the Gulf, the northern part of Clearwater Beach had an abnormal over-abundance of amazing shells. They were the kind of shells that you would buy in stores and don't normally find just laying on the beach! I especially love sand-dollars, and every time I spotted a perfect one I felt like I had found a tiny gold nugget. I seriously picked up 20 beautiful sand-dollars, and carried them along the beach inside a much larger shell to protect them until I got back to my van. Last night I took the time to wrap them individually in Kleenex, seal the Kleenex bundles inside a ziplock bag, and put that bag in a little box to permanently protect them. No breaking, No Sir, I am going to keep them whole and beautiful until I start using them for some crafy ideas that I've got.

As we were walking along, on the lone sandy beach, we even stumbled across a tree that someone had lovingly hung with various seashells. It was artfully done, and it wasn't obvious at first glance that it was a shell-tree. From a distance it looked more like cotton balls or flowers. Pretty cool.

Dan ended up collecting several heavy bags full of random shells to glue on the dash & interior door panels of his Buick LeSabre back in Michigan. He has already started decorating the interior of it with shells we found in Florida last year, along with all the pull-tabs, bottle caps, and misc. metal junk that we find & pick up while metal-detecting. It is looking great inside his car so far, and I'm sure it will look even more eclectic once he gets a chance to add these newest shells to the mix. His car is a lot of fun, by the way. Last year we pencil-sketched some wavy lines along the outside of it & hand-painted it to look like a taxi cab :) It came out great, and I can see Dan coming from a mile away...

When we get back up to Michigan, I think he is planning to give it a fresh paint job & make it look strikingly similar to the bat~mobile. We did however pick up some huge cow horns this year in a Florida Goodwill somewhere, and they are currently up in the storage tote on the top of my van. He was thinking that they would look great attached to the front of his Buick, but personally, I think they would look even better on the front of my van! They would give my van a magnificent mustache, similar to that little guy on the Pringles container.

I personally collected a good sized bag of unique shells, coral, & beach items for myself, although I was a bit more picky. He needed more than I did since he still has a lot of empty space to cover in his car. My purpose doesn't require as many, since I plan to hot-glue them to some photo-frames & use the rest for other small, fun and exciting projects. I selected many beautiful shells that spanned probably 15 different varieties. Here are some of my favorites, along with a couple of dried-up starfishes that Dan found (but I wanted).

I am fairly well beached-out for this week, but sometime soon I still want to get back down to the Venice & Englewood area to fill up a couple of bags of black, fossilized shark's teeth. I already have a bag full that I collected last year, but it never hurts to have more. Maybe I could even sell them on eBay, who knows? I could at least make some jewelry with them for sure.

I guess I will wrap up this beach post with a final comment about the shells that we found... Last night around 11pm while I was sorting thru them, I came across 4 small ones that still had live sea-animals living inside them... oops! (snails or crabs, not sure what they were exactly) Sorry little guys! They were still moving, so I knew I hadn't killed them yet. It was late, but Dan drove us back to the beach so we could put them back in their saltwater home where they belong. After that, we sure were pooped from an extremely long day in the hot sun, dealing with dozens of shells, but it sure was worth it, and now there aren't 4 less sea-creatures in the world due to my own lack of observation.

Ok, enough slacking off for me, it is time for me to work. This week will be dedicated to my temporary job of melon-cutting madness :)

Hundreds of Alligators!!

The frigid weather had followed us right on down to Key West, so yesterday we decided to drive north and sneak up on some warmer weather elsewhere. Instead of taking I-75 (aka "Alligator Alley") back across the state, we took Hwy 41 (Tamiami Trail) west from Miami towards Naples.

I have REALLY been wanting to see alligators roaming around in the wild for quite some time now, and I always keep an eye out for them any time I am near the Everglades. I didn't see a single alligator on this trip heading over to the Keys, so on the way back I kept my fingers crossed and looked even harder. Dan was driving, so my eyes were free to do some visual alligator~hunting.

Let me just say that we were finally in the right place, at the right time. Not only did I see one alligator, but we saw HUNDREDS of them. Once I spotted my first one, I started spotting them just a few feet apart from eachother....and for miles! and miles! and miles! They were laying on rocks, relaxing in the water, and also hanging out on the shore next to a little stream running along-side the road. We pulled over twice and were seriously close to them. It was just awesome. Such huge reptiles...

I really expected them to be greener, but they were really dark, almost black. I highly doubt that so many of them normally hang out along-side the road, but it was extremely chilly yesterday, so I think they must have been trying to soak up the sunshine next to the shore. It was perfect timing when we drove by, since the sun was nicely high in the sky. And since they must have been cold, they were moving really slow yesterday (I was very pleased about that). I hear that May is the time to stay away from them (mating season).

To-Do: See an alligator in the wild

Alright, I can finally cross that one off the list!

I love Key West

It is 9pm and my laptop battery power is down to 37%, so I'm going to hurry and try to crank out a photo-filled blog post before my computer dies. Mission = Speed. Then I will find a place to charge my laptop tomorrow, probably either at a laundromat or the library, and I will post again as soon as I can after that.

Dan & I just got showers at our secret spot here in the Keys, went and filled up our water jugs at Publix, and are currently snacking on yummy organic crackers in my van. We pulled into a random parking lot here along North Roosevelt Blvd (aka U.S. Highway 1) which heads right into Key West, and we have lucked out. Tons of unsecured wi-fi signals. I connected right away to one called "KeyWestDonut," although I don't see any donut places nearby. Just big chain stores like Home Depot & Walgreens. This part of Key West is called "New Towne," I think, and it is right as you head into the island. This part of town is all built up with the traditional stores that I don't feel belong here, which is why I don't spend any of my daytime hours up this way. All of our time lately has been spent either at the beach or down in Old Towne.

Dan & I have been here since Monday, and I can't believe that tomorrow is Friday already. The week has just blown right by, and we've been having a terrific time (minus the rain and the cold weather that must have followed us down here).

Our routine has been to sleep in as late as we want (which has only been until around 8 or 9am), drive somewhere else to park for the day, and then conquer the island both on foot and by bicycle. We've been hanging out with Chris & Jonas quite a bit, eating our free Denny's breakfast, hittin' up the local vegan restaurant, watching some amazingly excellent street-performers in Mallory Square, walking up and down Duval street commenting on crazy people, cooking dinner together, chatting at the laundromat (to stay warm, not to do laundry), and just doing what we do best - finding ways to simply have fun (for cheap) and just observing what life puts out there for us to see.

Yesterday we spent the entire day at the beach, and I went back and forth between laying on my towel and napping in my hammock. While Dan was in the bathroom and I was soakin' up the sun on the sand, some random guy wandered over and asked me if I wanted to play volleyball. As much as I love getting out and about, I didn't play any sports in school, and I don't think I've played volleyball since middle school gym class! So I passed on that idea... Today was much cooler than yesterday, so we bundled up (hats, gloves, and sweatshirts!) and went bike riding all day, covering lots of ground on the island, checking out various nooks & crannys. We got to explore a beautiful garden area that is run by the Key West Garden Club, and then I warmed up with some delicious coconut-milk hot-cocoa from "Help Yourself."

Chris & Jonas really are two great guys - new vandwelling friends for life :) Since being down here I have also met a super-sweet girl from Cali (who lives in Idaho), and a free-spirited car~dweller from all over (who happened to lock herself out of her car, right next to my van). Luckily I keep a couple of extra wire coat hangars in my van for situations such as this. Oh! We also met a wonderful older gentleman named Rusty while we were waiting to get our passports officially stamped in the "Conch Republic." :-) so many people to meet, so many things to see, so much to do, and so little time...

Ok, wow, I'm down to 23% on my battery power. Hope you don't feel rushed, because I do. Photo time!

Heading down thru the keys, on the only road to Key West:

Upon arrival in Key West:






Yup, I sure do love it down here. I'm only 90 miles from Cuba and enjoying fresh Mahi-Mahi in a place where Coconuts fall from the trees, Aloe grows alongside the road & Volkswagen Vanagons are everywhere. Yikes, sorry, I do have alot more to share, however, I'm down to 5% on my power meter... Guess the rest will just have to wait until later.

Hurry! Free Denny's Breakfast!

A friend of mine just sent me an email that informed me about a nationwide Free Grand Slam Breakfast at Denny's! But (sorry about the short notice) it is tomorrow, Tuesday February 3rd, from 6am to 2pm. You might want to call your local Denny's to make sure they are doing it, but I called the one here in Key West and they verified that it is accurate. Free breakfast tomorrow! No to-go orders, though, and no substitutions. Only the pancake, scrambled egg, bacon, and sausage Grand Slam :-) Free is good, so I just had to share.

As a quick side note, we woke up this morning at 7am and saw the sun rise into a new day. We leisurely drove down thru the Florida Keys, taking photos along the way of bridges, boats, mangroves, keys artwork, and tiki huts. If you haven't been down to the keys, you really ought to try and make it at least once. It is so warm and so beautiful. Just one long road, bordered by vast blue waters on both sides, jumping from key to key to key... tiny island after island, headed all the way down to mile marker zero, the end of the road.

Key West has an atmosphere like nowhere else. Everyone is happy to be here and happy to be warm. Life is so laid back and free down here, with people jogging along the water, reading on their boats, sleeping in their vehicles, taking photos at the Southernmost Point of the Continental U.S., admiring the sunsets at Mallory Square, drinking a bit too much on Duval Street, watching movies at the local Tropic Cinema, laying on the beach, riding on pedicabs, bicycles, & also in pink taxi-cabs... People are out catching all sorts of tropical fish & lobsters, and others are eating conch-fritters and alligator-tail. The view from the top of La Concha Hotel is amazing, but if you head to the top of the "Garden of Eden," the view will be quite a bit different... There really is so much to see and do for such a small island. I've also already seen at least 4 other VW Vanagons here in Key West today, and one was my van's exact twin from North Carolina!

This is my 2nd time down here and I'm very glad to be back. We've gotten my van all settled into our stealth parking spot and it just happens to be underneath this wonderful streetlight. The light shines right down thru my skylight so there is no need to use my LEDS while parked here.

Today we also got to meet & hang out with Chris & his friend Jonas for a little bit, and it was really great except for the downpouring rain that just wouldn't quit. We wanted to all go see a movie, but that would've involved trying to kill several hours amidst the storm. Thus we took a raincheck (literally) to hit up the cinema another time, and we have called it an early night. It is nice to be out of the rain (we all just spent quite awhile wandering around in it), but it is so incredibly relaxing to listen to the rain dance on my roof :-) I love the sound of rain... I'm sure we will sleep so soundly tonight beneath it.

Tomorrow should be sunny, so I'm excited about that. I already told Chris about the free Denny's breakfast, so the 4 of us are planning to jump on that in the morning. My goal for the rest of tomorrow is going to revolve solely around the beach - laying on it, feeling the sand between my toes, using my metal detector, relaxing in my hammock, watching sailboats in the distance, and feeling the warm breeze on my skin. Yeah, free breakfast, new friends, and beach. It will be a great day since that is how I plan to make it, and every day is great anyway in Key West.

I Scratched the Itch to Leave

I woke up this morning around 10am, discovered that Dan was done working in Tampa, and said "let's go!" More south, where it is warmer and the beaches are calling to me...

There was no need to get dressed since Sundays are great lazy days for driving. We stayed in our pjs, tossed our bikes on the back of the van, said bye to our friends, and took off south. I just love spontaneity. It feels like nothing else. Like you are free and unconstrained both physically and mentally.

We spent today just casually driving south, making different observations about Florida along the way. It really is a green, lush, beautiful state, filled with bridges, bays, beaches, foliage, and wildlife. Each section & coast of Florida has a different feel to it, a completely unique atmosphere. I'm actually quite glad we got out of the Tampa congestion for Super Bowl Sunday. Just like that one song goes, they paved paradise to put up a parking lot. I like Tampa, but seriously, it is just a massive expanse of concrete and a crowded suburbia.

It feels great to be out of the city. Don't worry, I'm responsible, I'm going back for my melon job next week. This week, however, I'm taking a vacation from my vacation. I'm on vacation, but at the same time, this is my life and I'm already home. Funny & fun how that is the case when you live in your van.

So today we drove across some bridges, felt the warm change in the air, stopped in Naples for a bite to eat at Whole Foods, commented on all the different state license plates driving in our direction, and headed East across the state. Thru the Everglades, admiring the endless mangrove swamps, swarms of snowy white birds (egrets?), and the terrific little Indian huts of the Miccosukee Reservation. I kept my eyes peeled for alligators, but didn't see any yet. We drove until dark, all the while enjoying the fresh scenery, appreciating the sensation & ability of movement, and listening to Classical music on my iPhone.

There is nothing like being on the move. I love every bit of it, and it is especially nice when you don't have to do all the driving yourself. (thanks Dan) Tomorrow the plan is to wake up early with the sun and cruise down into the keys. That is where I feel like I belong (at least for now).