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.