Driving South to Florida

17. Sep. 2014
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Planning the Trip, USA
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Author: Pete

Location: En route from Green Bay, WI, to Naples, FL

After our ‘victory lap’ of Lake Michigan to say goodbye to all of our families, we made ready to head south. Miranda and I loaded up the red 1993 Plymouth Voyager minivan with shovels and rakes and implements of destruction all of our worldly belongings and drove towards Florida.

The Wisconsins rolling hills gave way to (boring) flat corn fields of Indiana, then to the curves of the Smokies. Miranda and I listened to audio books and hoped the Voyager didn’t fall apart. The old girl didn’t put up too much fuss on the long, arduous journey and neither did the van, bwa-hahaha!)

Clunked twelve hours to Nashville where we stayed with Miranda’s college buddies, Lilly and Brandon. We arrived there a little later than intended due to Trusty Rusty’s approximate top speed of 42 mph. Still got to go out to eat at a fantastic spicy fried chicken place. Finger-lickin’ fan-frickin-tastic! Took a little tour around the music-rich city. Really great history and a constant supply of great live tunes to be had!

The next morning we hit the road a little later than anticipated. Some strange time changes put us an hour behind for the second half of the journey. So again on the road we found ourselves!

Cruised steady throughout the day first passing Atlanta, then finally into the Orange Tree License Plate State: FLORIDA!

Florida is a funny state. I forget that it’s extremely long! We went over the border at seven and didn’t get into Naples until 1AM! Could’ve been due to heavy rain, navigating in the dark, and a pretty old van. She got us there though! Three cheers for Trusty Rusty!

Hip hip! HUZZAH!

Summer in Wisconsin 2014

04. Aug. 2014
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Life on Land
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Author: Pete

Location: Seymour, WI

Hit the ground running in Wisconsin after what will become, I’m sure, a most well known jaunt around the top of Lake Michigan. We were immediately off to Gramma’s to make pickles and bread for the upcoming wedding party.

Spent some time getting the ‘shop’ (an airplane hanger sized pole barn) ready for the wedding party. Since Miranda’s family is so big, many people weren’t able to make it down to Cartagena last February. So we decided to have a big celebration back home. Preparing the shed involved moving out the massive tractors, fork lifts, and equipment, installing new lights, laying down gravel in the driveway, and power-washing everything clean.

The day before the party, Seymour had a hot air balloon rally that was pretty spectacular. We drove around spotting the globes.

The following day, everyone arrived a little early for the party and we fired it up right away. Family and friends all flooded in and made merry. We even had a pretty good contingency from Michigan come over to represent!

Took a nice photo shoot during the day in my ‘dowery’, a beautiful 1965 Ford Mustang that Miranda and her dad had fixed up when she was in middle school. Pretty fun.

After a little clean up we headed north to decompress at the cottage the Pashouwer clan always goes to in the summer. We played on the water, fished, ate, and made more merry.

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Along the way were numerous other shindigs and outings including a wedding of our friends Kendra and Chris, a dinner with Cody and Marsha, and some diesel tips from Miranda’s pops.

And then with some trepidation we were off to Burning Man in our penultimate gig before Florida!

Summer in Michigan 2014

03. Aug. 2014
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Life on Land
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Author: Pete

Location: Charlevoix, MI

A guy can become pretty darn antsy waiting to get a significant sailing trip under way. Hurricane season in the Caribbean has been mild tempered this year, apparently. However, we’re still sticking to our plan and waiting to go down to Florida to start up the boat search until mid-September just to be safe. Until then we’ve been entertaining ourselves in the Midwest seeing family and friends.

Eventually had some time at home with family and friends. Met up with our friends Gordie and Em, and their two ridiculously adorable munchkins. Made a bonfire in the back yard and enjoyed the summer night just like when we were that age.

Then I was another year older, if none the wiser. Charlevoix holds a weeklong celebration of my birthday each year, regardless of if I’m actually home or not, called the Venetian Festival. I don’t know why it isn’t called the Pete Festival… it’s always my birthday week. We celebrated by having a barbecue with friends, going downtown to see some music, and having birthday celebrations.

Unbeknownst to me, it was decided that for surviving three decades I should be thrown out of a perfectly good airplane. What a birthday present! I couldn’t decide if I was flattered or freaked out. An old friend from high school, Ryan, was my tandem instructor. We strapped in and took off facing backwards in the tiny Cessna.

Prompted, I think, by the possibility of the jump not going well, Miranda decided that we should make our marriage legal. Since a marriage license cost $20 in Michigan and $100 in Wisconsin, we went by our checkbooks.

Our American Sailing Association certifications came in from our course in June! We’re documented sailors!

Kept our sea legs up to snuff with some windsurfing, waterskiing, and kayaking. I have a million wetsuits, but I’m gravitating to the 1980’s vintage shortie with ridiculous colors and almost no stretch. Life on the water in the summer is one of Charlevoix’s many beauties.

Spent some time with Hal and Taylor, who were up scoping wedding venues. Went out a few times to the Tap Room for beers and over to Hal’s for some killer salmon.

The summer flew by with assorted fun bits that deserve a good review. Here’s a few more…

Finally, the day before Miranda and I were to head to Wisconsin our shipment came in from Chile. It should’ve arrived much sooner, but there was a dockworker strike in Chile. When longshoremen finally went back to work they picked pretty much the last day possible for us. Worked out great. It was sort of like Christmas opening the nineteen bags and boxes that filled the crate. All of the superfluous crap that we accumulated over four years in Chile had been sold or given away and all that was left was the good stuff. Favorite gear, artwork, clothes, that we had forgotten about in the exciting rush of summer.

And then we were off! Loaded up the 1994 Plymouth Voyager and headed north around the lake. Seemed like an odd direction when our destination was Florida!