Georgia state of mine!

In and around Georgia:

If you'd told me years ago that some day when we were retired we'd live in Georgia, I would have been very surprised, and wondered how and why!  But here we are---2018, and on our 2nd location in Georgia and our 3rd year!   Why???  We followed our daughter and son in law awaiting our first grandbaby.  In Dec. of 2017, they adopted a beautiful baby girl.  Now we're smitten.

From May of 2016 until May of 2018, we lived about 40 miles north of Atlanta in Buford.  Loved the proximity to Lake Lure and the N. Georgia mountains only being an hour away.  I also loved Ivy Creek Nature Preserve which we lived adjacent to---spent many many hours walking around in there.  And that there was every store or chain restaurant I could ever want to go to within a couple miles of our apartment.  What I didn't love about Buford, was the TRAFFIC!!!!  Atlanta traffic some 40 miles away!!!

Then in 2018 our son in law got a promotion and territory in middle-lower Georgia.  So we followed them to Perry.  We ended up buying a house this time.  We really didn't get to experience much of small town middle Georgia.  As son as we moved there, hubby started having health problems, so we spent a lot of time driving back up to Atlanta to a specialist.  Good thing about that was we usually made it a full day excursion and stopped at places along the way.   But Perry seemed to be a nice out of the way location.  Didn't find a whole lot to do around there, but did find a few favorite spots---Lanes farm, Massee Gardens, our daughter's pool... .

Now---April of 2019---we're, again, looking to move.  This time up to the Marietta, Ga. area just to the NW of downtown Atlanta.  The kids didn't like living in the "country", so Josh took another job within Cintas back up in the W. Atlanta area.  Now to get our houses sold and find places up that way!

Update---Jan. 2022---we're living in another really nice house that we've purchased in Dallas, Ga.  What do I like about Dallas?  It's close to hubby's Drs.  There are just about every store or restaurant within 10 miles of here.  We're in rolling hills with lots of pine trees and beautifully landscaped areas.  Lots of fun activities nearby---like Chalktoberfest, free outdoor concerts, Gibbs gardens... .  Dislikes?  Shortly after we moved here hubby was diagnosed with Glioblastoma and the Covid 19 pandemic hit.  So the last 2 years have been rough.

  But I thought I'd start a blog of the places we've been to in Georgia.

Perry:
       4-13-19  Perry Dogwood Festival
       3-10-19 Go Fish Education Center
       9-27-18 Perry Art Center 
       2018 Georgia National Fair
       6-26-19  Warner Robbins Air Force Base  Museum of Aviation

Lake Lanier:
        Feb. 26, 2018
        March 2, 2018 
        Oct. 13, 2017
        June 8, 2017
        April 19, 2017
        March 21, 2017
        May 31, 2017 - Old Federal Park
        Jan. 31, 2017

Lake Acworth and Lake Allatoona:
         8-12-19

State Botanical Gardens of Georgia:
         10-19-17
          3-29-17

Gibbs Gardens:

         Oct. 13, 2021-Wildflowers

         March 19, 2021 - daffodils
         Nov 10, 2019 - fall
         March 7, 2018 - daffodils
         Nov. 4, 2017
         Nov. 2, 2017
         Sept. 7, 2017
         May 2, 2017
         March 8, 2017 - daffodils 

     

       

         

Atlanta Botanical Gardens:

         10-26-19 - halloween with Layla
          6-11-19
          3-19-19 Tulips
        11-20-18 Autumn in the gardens
        10-16-18 ghouls in the gardens
         july 2018 ,  Imaginary Worlds
         Oct. 2017  ,
         Aug. 2017  ,
         June 2017  ,
         May 2017  ,
         March 2017  ,
         Oct. 2016   , chihuli

Atlanta Botanical Gardens at Gainesville:
         May 6, 2018
         March 28, 2018 - tulips
         March 23, 2018 - tulips
         Nov. 21, 2017
         Oct. 8, 2017 - Fall Woodland Ramble and Goblins in the Garden
         Aug. 9, 2017
         April 1, 2017 - tulips
         Aug. 16, 2016

Massee Gardens:
          1-2-19 winter Camellias
          1-16-19 winter Camellias
          2-27-19  Massee Gardens with Layla (and Angie)
          11-29-18 Fall        
          June 2018 ,

Smith Gilbert Garden:
         11-5-19 with Layla

Gainesville
         Feb. 23, 2017

Atlanta
         6-10-17
         Dec. 2010   Atlanta Aquarium:
         July 7, 2012  World of Coca Cola
         July 7, 2012   Centennial Olympic Park
         Oakland Cemetery 

Savannah:
         June 2018  ,
         May 2018  ,

Marietta:

         10-10-21 Chalktoberfest

         5-30-17

        

 

Macon:
         11-24-18 7th St. Salvage in Macon:
         10-28-18 visit to the Hay House in Macon:
         5-29-18

Brasstown Bald:
         Nov. 3, 2017
         Oct. 17, 2016
         Aug. 2, 2016

 Waterfalls:
         Amicalola:
                   Jan. 2018  ,
                   Oct. 24, 2017
                   March 12, 2017
                   April 17, 2018 
         Helton Falls 
                   Nov. 3, 2017
                   Oct. 17, 2017
         DeSoto Falls
         Toccoa Falls:
                    Nov. 7, 2017
                    Oct. 3, 2017
         Panther Falls
         Minnehaha Falls
         Sea Creek Falls
         Fall Branch Falls
         Poole's Mill
         Duke's Creek Falls
                     Aug. 2, 2016
         Anna Ruby Falls
                     June 20, 2016 
                     May 7, 2018

          High Shoals Falls
                     10-28-19

Red Top Mountain:
                      10-28-19

Ellijay:
         march, 11, 2017
         March 10, 2017 - River Run Cabin
         April 17,18,19-2020

Dahlonega around Christmas 

Gainesville
            4-1-17

Helen
        Nov. 3, 2017 

Dalonega:
        11-25-17 xmas lights

Providence Canyon State Park:
        Feb. 11, 2017

Wineries:
        Cineta:
                   10-21-17
                    8-21-17 eclipse viewing
         Kaya (Frogtown Vineyards)
                    2011         

The Mall of Georgia 

Ivy Creek Greenway and Mill Creek Nature Reserve:
         6-5-16
          8-9-16
         10-11-16
          1-20-17
          3-26-17
          4-29-17
          7-2-17
          7-4-17
          8-19-17
          9-2-17
         Nov. 2017
          1-8-18 icy mill
          2-27-18 picnic
          4-3-18
          5-3-18
         11-9-19 a visit there with Layla
    
Sloten Auctions:
         11-10 &11-2017
          4-29-17
         11-12-16
          11-9-19

Mt. Tabor Park

George Pierce Park:
          5-26-17
          4-28-17
          4-10-17
          4-8-17 birding
Battle of New Hope Church

Hopefully I'll be able to continue adding on to this blog for many more years!

Florida

Florida!  If you asked me many years ago what I thought of Florida, I'd probably have said I don't really think about it.  But over the years, I kept getting drawn back there.  First was a work trip for Ken in 1988 which the kids and I tagged along to.  Then when the Angie graduated from high school in 1999 I arranged a short trip to Florida and the Bahamas as a family senior trip.  Then there were a couple of my work trips there for winter meetings in Orlando.  Dad joined me for one of them and bought into the RCI resort I had gotten a bonus vacation at (Orange Lake Resort).  So Dad and I started going almost every year to use his 5th week of the year at Orange Lake Resort.  Then we started venturing out to S. Florida.  Eventually Angie and Josh even moved to S. Florida and we really started going there a lot.  I was hooked!!!  Fell in love with S. Florida.  We even moved there to be near the kids, then they moved to Georgia.  So we followed them to Georgia and are back to vacationing in Florida.

 

1988 Orlando

 

1999-Florida/Bahamas trip

 

2002 Jan. first trip to Orlando with Dad

 

2003---Orlando, Feb., with Dad and Angie

 

2004 winter Florida/1st cruise experience!

 

2005 Orlando with Dad followed by a do-over Disney Cruise

 

2008 Orlando---last trip with Dad

 

2009 - June; Sunny West Palm Beach

 

2009 May Orlando "Sunshine state" trip

 

2009 Oct Pompano trip with Ken 

 

2010 Orlando with David and Jane

 

2011 Oct.--Pompano Beach, Florida Sisters' trip 

 

2012 -April trip to Orlando with a Disney fanatic

 

2012 Sept to Coral Springs to visit the kids

 

2012 Nov. S Florida to visit the kids

 

2013 Feb. trip to Florida (Sea World)

 

2014 Just a little cross country drive to Florida in June/July

 

2015-2016 Living in South Florida!!!!

 

2017 Feb. 4-11 Orlando trip:

 

2020-Feb 1-4 Orlando 

 

2020-6 Panama City Beach trip

 

2020-sept 27- Oct 1 Destin, Fl. 4 night vacation

 

2021-May 17-25 Reunion and Clearwater Beach, Florida

 

 2025 Dec. Panama City Beach Respite trip

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Resorts we've stayed in: Wyndham, Worldmark, Orange Lake, and RCI & Interval International exchanges

Missouri

LOTO (Lake of the Ozarks)

     Worldmark LOTO

 

Florida

 Orlando: 

     Wyndham Clearwater Beach Resort--May 2021 1 bedroom

     Worldmark Reunion Resort---May 2021 3 bedroom

Orange Lake Resort:

    West Villas unit 2032: 2017

 

Pompano:

Wyndham Sea Gardens:

    Ocean Palms: 2015 --- 2 bedroom deluxe 

    Ocean front and Waterfall: 2016 --- studios

 

Wyndham Royal Vista:

    Wyndham Royal Vista 5-13-17  --- 2 bedroom deluxe  rm 8814

 Wyndham Palm Aire:

    Wyndham Palm Aire: 5-2017---2 bedroom, rm 975

 

Panhandle:

     Wyndham Emerald Green  4 bedroom unit  --Sept 2020

     Wyndham Panama City Beach  1 bedroom deluxe---6-2020 

     Wyndham Panama City Beach  2 bedroom Presidential--12-2025

     Wyndham Panama City Beach  general info for the whole resort

 Wyoming 

      WorldMark West Yellowstone: 2 bedroom Queen in 2nd bedroom; unit 337---9-6-2013

 

The Carolinas

  South Carolina

 Ocean Ridge, Edisto, SC:

     Wyndham Ocean Ridge: The Village; 674A&B (2 bedroom lockoff) 

      Wyndham King Cotton ---8-2015  3 bedroom 

 Lake Marion:

      Wyndham Lake Marion---Feb. 2021  3 bedroom accessible 

 

 N. Myrtle Beach, SC:

     Wyndham Ocean Blvd---Sept. 2021  3 bdrm, 5th floor OF

 

North Carolina

Fairfield Mountain resort, Lake Lure, NC

    Fairfield Mountain Resort: 2017 --- 1 bedroom suite  

    Wyndham Fairfield Mountain resort, Lake Lure, NC: 8-22-17 --- 2 bedroom loft

 

Sapphire Valley

    Wyndham Resort at Fairfield Sapphire Valley: 11-7-17  --- 1 bedroom deluxe and 1 bedroom suite

 

 Tennessee

     Wyndham at the Great Smokey Mountains in Sevierville

 

Hawaii

Maui

Worldmark Kihei:

    Worldmark Kihei & Kahana Villas Resort  2018

    Worldmark Kihei: 2016 --- 2 bedroom twins, building 8

    Worldmark Kihei : 2015 --- 2 bedroom twins, building 4

    Worldmark Kihei : 2-2013 --- 2 bedroom twins 

 

    Sands of Kahana: 2019 --- 1 bedroom (RCI exchange) 

    Kahana Villas Resort: 1-2018 --- 2 bedroom/2 bath (RCI exchange)

    

Kauai

Wyndham Kauai Beach Villas:

    KBV: 8-31-2016 --- 1 bedroom, 2 bath OV

    Wyndham KBVs best room (G12): 10-16-2016 --- 2 bedroom OV

    Wyndham KBV: 2-2015 --- 1 bedroom deluxe (2 bath) F3 

    Wyndham KBV: 1-2014 --- 2 bedroom/2 bath (lagoon view)     

    Wyndham KBV: 2-2019 --- 2 bedroom/2bath OV (H08, ground level)

 

Wyndham Bali Hai:

    Bali Hai: 2-2014 3 bedroom 

 

Wyndham Shearwater

    Shearwater: 9-6-2016 --- Unit 313

    Shearwater: 2-2019 --- Unit 108 2 bedroom/2 bath (RCI exchange) 

 

The Cliffs:

    the Cliffs: 9-4-2016 --- 2 bedroom loft 

 

Kauai Coast Resort at the Beachboy in Kapaa

  Kauai Coast Resort : 2014 --- 1 bedroom/1 bath

 Oahu

 Wyndham Waikiki Beach Walk 1 bdrm  2009

Oregon

Worldmark

    Gleneden Beach : 12-19-2015 --- 3 bedroom OV

    Eagle Crest: 2014---2 bedroom

    Depoe bay: 2014 --- 2 bedroom 

    Seaside: 2014 --- 1 bedroom 

RCI

`    Sandpiper : 2014 --- 2 bedroom/2 bath--Lincoln City    

 

Washington:    

Olympic Peninsula

     Worldmark Discovery Bay: 2006 2 bedroom/2 bath

      

     Worldmark Long Beach: 2006 2 bedroom/2 bath

 

Caribbean

St. Thomas:

    Margaritaville: 9-20-2016 --- 3 bedroom Presidential Reserve   

    Wyndham Elysian: 10-2013 --- studio parlor    

    Wyndham Bluebeards Beach Resort: 11-2013 --- studio

12-23-25 heading back to Atlanta and 12-24-25 back home

 

 So what did Miss Cocoa come up with last night?  She left Layla a cake mix and icing and a note to make a birthday cake for Jesus.  And on Christmas, she did!

Last morning here.  Although we do have the condo for another night, but are leaving a day early.  

Looks like another beautiful day!!!!

Our Christmas sweatshirts picture at the beach.  Didn't need the sweatshirts, but after what we went through to get my sweatshirt---we made it happen.  How did I get my shirt?----We found 1 in the Panama City area (about 30 miles away) so I ordered it and had it delivered to the front desk.  Worked out great--even though it had the wrong address on the order.  I'm loving this no shipping fees from Walmart with my Walmart+ membership!

Love all the decorations on the skywalk to the parking garage.

Made someone walking by take our picture

love the snowman tree

Santa Elf

Santa Layla

looking across the skywalk.  They actually have a bar to the left and a coffee shop near the condo end of it.

from the parking garage end

loved this tree decorated with sea things.

a selfie closer to the beach

 And on our way

Good bye palm trees

over the bridge and through the palms

to the scrub pines we go

sites along the way

horsies

cowies

even some hay

Not too long 'til we were in Alabama

The little peanut meeting the big peanut

 

back on the road

land of cotton

Bye Florida

bye sunflowers

Hello Alabama hogs

Hello Alabama home

hello Alabama snowman

Run, kid, run!

the clouds I'm used to seeing when we're driving to/from Florida.  On Sat. it was cloudless.

still some color in the trees down South

an occassional lake

wonder what they're catching

forget the town, but we went by a street with some really pretty old Victorian homes.

or semi-victocian

Layla has become a great little traveller

more water

love the light on the tall grass

The scenic highway in Georgia (I-85?)

NW Atlanta.  Back to traffic

Time to get Ken out of the nursing home.  So glad Josh was able to check in on him every day.  And Andrea.  I'm not sure the facility workers did much of anything for him.  Not even sure they fed him.  At least Andrea gave him a couple Boosts.  Josh would change the tv channel.  But I think they even left it on all night.  I wonder if they left the lights on, too?

 I thought of going to see him on the 23rd before I went home, but decided it might stress him out more.  So ate Chick fil a with the kids, then got home about 8.  

12-24-25  Ken comes home!

They were supposed to bring Ken home between 11 and 1.  I thought about riding over there and getting him ready to come home---or thought about running to the grocery store before he came home.  But good thing I didn't do either.  About 9:30 they just showed up at the door.  No biggie since we were home.  I was glad to have him back early.  But wasn't too happy with the condition he was in.  He was pretty contorted.  Couldn't straighten his legs out without him writhing in pain.  Andrea assumed it was from his feet being cramped against the footboard of the bed since it wasn't an extended bed.  He was also soaked.  They never put any of the external catheters on that I took up there, so who knows how long he was sitting in pee.  I can understand them not changing someone right away, but they could do other things to make things more comfortable---like use the extra men's guards that I took up there which I even use with the catheter.  So he did have some sores.  I didn't even know if he'd had his morning meds.  After I got him situated, I went to put his luggage away and found not only his luggage, but someone else's luggage, too.  Plus they forgot to bring back the pad with the handles that they kept on him when they took him and assured they'd bring back.  At least someone from the transportation company  called pretty quickly and said they'd be bringing it and the medicine that they found in the van.  So I got them to take the other luggage back with them, too.  Andrea even came to check on him.  She's been great.  She really seems to care about her patients and what she's doing.  With the med packs delivered, I was able to tell he hadn't had his morning meds yet.  Also noticed he had only taken 1 Lorazepan.  They had told Andrea he was on them everyday so I was expecting that to be why he was out of it most of the time.  I also didn't see a bubble pack card for Carvidolol---is that why his blood pressure was so high?  Andrea even had Losartan started back up since his blood pressure was over 220/120 on Sun.  I got him to eat a little and take his meds.  Let him rest the rest of the day.  Wonder what he remembers about any of this now?!  I always said he wouldn't remember being gone once he was back, but while he was there and I wasn't, he'd probably be stressed.  I think my fears were right.  Angie even asked him on Sat. Dec. 20 how he liked his ride and he said he didn't think he had been anywhere.