Space Issues

I think we may be entering a new phase of our trip. Not surprisingly, a lot of other people already thought of bringing an RV to Florida for January and February! You need reservations, which we have had, but we got them late and were lucky to get them.  So now, for the first time, we have been staying in what I imagine may become very familiar kinds of places. We have been in some great Florida state campgrounds, but sometimes now we are in a different kind of campground, in which lots of camping vehicles are parked near one another, with just a picnic table and a grill separating one "house" from another. Those of you who have been to my house in Brookline will know that I should feel right at home. There is a big difference, though. I think it is too early to talk about "RV culture," but it is pretty noticeable that people in this situation do not act like people in cities, even though this is kind of a city environment. The minute you step outside, someone walking by says, "Massachusetts, eh?  How long have you been on the road?"  Or, "Need any help there with figuring that out?" ( To Bob, whatever he is doing with the trailer.) Or, "The Red Sox sure had a great year, didn't they?" My point is that it is a social way to live,  if you want it to be. My parents lived like this for a couple of years full time,  and seasonally for a long time, and they had friends all over the country.  When we tried to figure out whether to travel in a car and stay in motels, or get a BIG car and a trailer, part of the appeal of doing this was getting a feel for other places, and getting a feel for people who live in other places. I've got a feeling both of these things are going to happen in a way that is particular to this kind of travel, just because of proximity.

A "City Block"

Speaking of travel, we spent the whole yesterday today at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral. It was pretty amazing!  I was surprised at how moving it was to see the actual objects that  had gone to space. It was TRULY mind boggling. It was inspirational! Some of the things we saw seemed bigger than anything I could imagine; and others, like the objects that had actually landed on, or drove around the real MOON, for God's sake, looked incredibly simple, and maybe even a little bit cheesy.  It was just an amazing experience, and pretty awe-inspiring. I recommend it if you ever have the chance.

It looks a little cheesy, but it landed on the moon!

Alan Shepard's space suit with moon dust on it

It's impossible to exagerate just how big this was- just look at Bob in the bottom of the frame.

On the third idea about space, I'm pretty stunned that Bob and I are managing to live in a pretty small space and haven't (yet) started to go crazy. Getting out of the trailer helps, and I'm happy and delighted (and maybe a little sheepish where my friends in Boston,  and other cold weather places are concerned) to announce that we have finally gotten WARM. It's lovely here, and we can ride our bikes and be outside, and remember why we left our friends and family behind to come on this adventure.

Florida doesn't seem exactly like my kind of place --lots of fast food, strip malls, and chain restaurants--not to mention gun stores--but I can see that it is slower and more relaxed than New England. We ARE slowing down. We are riding our bikes. We are cooking outside. We are warm! By the time we spend a week in Key West, we may be changed forever. I'll keep you posted.