From Bluegills to Grouper

From bluegill fishing on the beautiful lakes of northern Indiana with my Brother-in-law to the gulf waters of west-central Florida where grouper is king - our journey continues.  We are now at home in warm, sunny Hudson, FL just 50 miles north of Tampa and 2 miles from the white sands of Hudson Beach.

The summer in Indiana was great spending quality time with family and friends and visiting many of our old stomping grounds where we both spent the first 30 some years of our lives.  We caught so many fish in my few times out on the lakes that my sister, Bonnie set a limit on the number we could keep as their freezer was filling up fast.  Of course there was no way we could stop when the fish were biting so well.  Time on the lakes would have been enough but the great fishing was a great bonus.  My time for fishing was made possible during our stay with my sister, Bonnie and brother-in-law Tom Holloway for over a week while our RV was receiving needed repairs at the Open Range factory in Shipshewana, IN.  I'm not sure if I will be fishing in Florida but will be surf -fishing in Texas during our Jan - Mar stay in Rockport, TX on the gulf coast.

Here is Florida the grouper is the super star in most eating establishments as the price on the menu only states, "market price".  There are plenty of fresh shrimp, scallops and clam strips which go well with the local beverages.  We have been able to locate several good beach-side hide-a-ways by driving down many side roads to see what we could find.  Of course we had a little help from Vickie's brother, Buzz and his wife Nancy as they took us on a tour of the area and pointed out all the good spots.

The trip down went really well and I am starting to think I am a real pro at this RV towing business but I still have a ton to learn.  Thank goodness most of the other RVers and locals are willing to share their knowledge about what to try and what not to.  I guess you can teach an old dog new tricks.  We have found the travel a bit more challenging after we arrived here.  For one, they should be able to run ads in the paper to sell their cars by stating, "1990 Chevy, 240,000 miles, turn signals never been used.  Also if you ever wondered what happened to all the bumper cars you use to ride at the local county fair - I found where they went.  Only this morning I received a light bump from the rear as I was waiting to turn left from a guy who said his foot must have slipped off the brake.  Luckily there was no damage.

Next week we will be taking a kayak float trip down a crystal clear river near here with several of Vickie's family.  I am really looking forward to the trip as most of the others have taken it before and after seeing the facebook pictures we were ready to go.  As a matter-of-fact we rented a 2-person kayak a few weeks back in Indiana just to make sure we would not come off looking like complete rookies.  I can't wait to showcase our stellar kayaking talents in front of family and friends.  The river is full of Manatees this time of year and will make for a trip of a lifetime.  You will have to stand by for the photos at a later date.

We will take you along as we search out new fun locations to eat, drink and lay in the sun.  As I set beneath a swaying palm sipping a - well you know the rest, I will sign off for now but

will visit with you soon.  We will be checking out the B-Side of life and remain forever Unplugged.  Cheers!!!