Rock Town, Georgia. Hike and 15+ year-old Geocache.

We put the kids though torture with a 2.5 hour car ride to the NW corner of Georgia where Richard wanted to find geocache #76 (now there are almost 3 million).  It was a super day with a beautiful hike.

Bean is a great hiker even when not in the Colorado mountains.

Rock Town is an amazing place.  We saw dozen of rock climbers.  One said it was the "best spot in Georgia to boulder.  Anna Grace and Parker Hopkins.

This tells it all.  Super Day!!!

Pretty amazing that a box (geocache) could stay in one place for over 15 years.  This one was placed in October 2000.  

Thanksgiving in Cumming, Georgia with the Hopkins

We headed from Tallahasee back to the town of Cumming, GA (north of Atlanta) to spend Thanksgiving with daughter Allison, son-in-law Danny, and our grandchildren Parker and Anna Grace Hopkins.

Bean and Brooks are best buds.

Tallahassee, Florida

After the Tampa area, we stopped by to see brother Mark and his family in Tallahassee.

I got a round of Disc Golf in with Mark and friend Rich Wilcox.

Niece Kaelie and Nephew Michael Taylor live in Tallahassee as well.

Mark's first grand child Loretta Stafford was visiting from Austin, TX

College Roommate Gary Miller in Odessa, FL

We stopped by Odessa, Florida (north of Tampa) to spend a couple of nights at the home of Richard's college roommate Gary Miller and his wife Cindy.  It was great to reconnect. We had not seen them for 17 years.  We got to the important stuff pretty quick:  Beer at a St Petersburg micro brewery called 3 Daughters.  The beer was great.

That evening we joined Gary and Cindy at a Sports Bar in New Port Richey where Gary plays guitar in a jam band there.  We were so impressed.  Gary played his first note on the guitar when we were at the Naval Academy in 1972.  It was Richard's Silvertone from Sears.  

Click here to see Gary's skills

Van Fleet Bikeway, Florida

We had been anticipating riding one of the great Rails-to-Trails, the Van Fleet trail just east of Lakeland.  It extends nearly 30 miles through "Old Florida," swamps, gators, wildness.  We only did 25 but managed to catch a dude with an Ironman tattoo on his calf.  He never knew what hit him as our awesomeness zoomed by.

Lakeland, Florida

On 14 November we arrived at the home of Richard and Mary Compton, Mary's brother and our sister-in-law.  Three nights here.  We found a great brew pub and spent a morning birding.  Neither of us knew much about Lakeland. It's a great towns. Go figure, lots of lakes.

11 November, Arrived Naples, FL

Mary and I both grew up in Florida, but neither of us had ever visited the SW Gulf Coast.  Today we arrived in Naples for 3 nights.

Birding with Professional Carlos Sanchez

On November 11th in the morning we spent six hours with a professional bird guide, Carlos Sanchez.  Carlos knows his stuff.  In short order we saw several species of Parrot and Parakeet.  Carlos located a "life bird," the Spot-breasted Oriole.  We got a phenomenal look in full sun.  Then afterward, on the way to Naples, Carlos told me where to stop to bag the Gray-headed Swamp Hen.  Mary saw it first when we pulled up to a pond.

Everglades National Park

It's 38 miles on asphalt from the entry to Flamingo, FL, near the southern boundary of the park.  There is no other place like it on Earth.

Key West, Florida

After a night in Miami where we visited South Beach with a friend, we were off to Key West...one of the corners of the United States.

At the Blue Heaven Cafe we shared a large piece of Key Lime Pie.  We chatted up a nice couple from Detroit who had arrived on a cruise ship.

There were four forts built on Key West to protect the Union during the Civil War. None saw action. But one was named in our honor.

Zachary Taylor is turning over in his grave at the incongruity of Key West then and now.

The Compton Sisters

One reason to visit Vero Beach was so that Mary could see her sisters who live here.  Lunch at the Italian Grill.  Becky, Mary and Beth Compton.

The Guettler Family

Niece Leslie Jones just had son Mack about 6 weeks ago. We had the pleasure of seeing them.

Ben and Leslie also have two girls, Gabrielle and Gracie. They are as cute as can be.

Barred Owl at Mead Botanic Gardens

We went back to Mead Botanic Gardens with Chris and Jodi on Halloween morning in the hope of seeing a Barred Owl. We had luck.  

Also had a nice look at a pair of wood ducks.

Nature at Mead Botanic Gardens

This morning Chris, Mary and I went birding in Mead Botanic Gardens in Winter Park.  Super place.  We managed to see a 54 inch Yellow Rat Snake while also seeing 27 species of birds.  Great fun.

Manatees, Crystal River, Florida

We stopped to see Bill and Stephanie Rice. They have a horse ranch in Morriston, Florida.  They took us out on their boat near Crystal River Florida where we got to see some manatees swimming in fresh spring water.  

Dinner with the Ocala Hopkins

Mary and I had fun at dinner with Barbara Hopkins, her son (and our son's-in-law brother) Mike Hopkins, wife and mother Angela and children Meryl and Graham.  Super meal at a great Mexican place in Ocala.

Driving Home from Strom Thurmond Reservoir

The ride home from the lake with one tired boy and two tired dogs.  

Camping, Geocaching, and Taylor Swift

Danny, Parker and I found a super camp site on Strom Thurmond lake. It's right on the GA/SC border.

We did the "guy" thing while Anna Grace went with Allison, Mary and friends to the Taylor Swift concert at the Georgia Dome.

Strom Thrumond Reservior is 180 miles from Danny and Allison's house in Cumming, GA, but it's only 5 miles from the oldest geocache in South Carolina ;-)

Avalon Shopping after THE MARTIAN

We went to see The Martian (great movie) on Friday afternoon.  Lots of Halloween theme around.  This is Parker and Anna Grace Hopkins.

Granddaughter Anna Grace Hopkins on Horseback

Anna Grace has been taking horseback riding lessons since she was 6 years old.  Now 10, she's coming into her own,  This shot shows why she won several ribbons during summer competitions.  

Phantom Vision Drone

For retirement Mark and Magan gave me the ultimate GoPro accessory, a Phantom drone capable of carrying the GoPro.  So far I have not had the guts to add the camera, but spent some time with Parker and Anna Grace at Fowler Park near Cumming to test my skills.  This was the first time I had every flown it without assistance, so I was pretty stoked.

Big Creek Greenway

Forsythe County, Georgia has an amazing park system.  The Big Creek Greenway currently extends nearly 7 miles.  At least 4 of that is on boardwalk...the board feet of lumber. Mary and I explored it on the tandem.

Parker Hopkins, Lacrosse

We arrived Cumming, Georgia in time to see Grandson Parker Hopkins play a lacrosse game.  Parker is a member of the West Forsythe Wolverines.  They beat the Milton Bears handily.

Rome, Georgia is a quaint southern town. Lots of charm.

Richard attended a Geocaching "Mega" event in Rome, Georgia.  That's an event with over 500 people. This one had about 800 geocachers.  Richard got his nerd on.  We were surprised with the charm of Rome. It's an antebellum town with a lot of history.  It's very dog friendly,  On Friday night we were able to take Bean to a local restaurant and sit on a great spot on the roof top.  Here we are on the clock tower.  127 steps to the top.

Arrival in Georgia after nearly 1000 miles from Austin.

The back route we took from Austin was about 1000 miles to Cumming, Georgia.  It had the added benefit of narrow roads and low bridges to keep us on our toes.

One night on Natchez Trace

On the way from Austin to Georgia we stopped along the way on the Natchez Trace at a National Park Service campground we were the only  people. there.  Dark.  Quiet. Amazing

Oldest Geocache in Louisiana

I stopped along the way to find and log the oldest Geocache in Louisiana...along the Wild Azalea Trail.  This required a drive to the trail head in the Mini then a mountain bike ride (4 miles RT) to the geocache.

Jack Goes to School

Jack started nursery school at the Primrose School in Bee Cave, Texas.  We all remember those first days away from Mom and Dad.  It's a little rough for him right now

The Midway, Austin Texas ... food trucks and trailers.

Austin is a cool place. We stopped to eat at The Midway. It's all food trucks and trailers converted into kitchens.  The food was amazing.

Here's Mark, Magan, Mary, Jack and Reid

Mark and Reid Whitfield Taylor (2 months and 1 day)

Jack Quentin Taylor enjoying an Ice Shave.

Mary and Magan

Mark and his boys.