Monday February 13th 2017

Did you know this coming weekend is the Presidents Day Holiday Weekend. I’m sure you did, but I didn’t until the women on the phone said “Well it is a holiday weekend”. It wasn’t really a mean spirited comment, she just couldn’t imagine I didn’t know it was a holiday weekend. One of the characteristics of this lifestyle is the blending of days. The TV programs I watch help remind me of the day of the week, but I have very few triggers about upcoming holidays.

All of this came up in my struggle to find a place to stay the next few nights. The first three calls this morning resulted in rejection. On the third call I tried to understand what was causing the high demand. I thought it might be early arrivals for Speed week at Daytona Beach that starts on the 18th or just additional February Snowbirders. That’s when I got the reminder about the holiday. My guess is all are factors. I have reserved the site I am currently on through Friday. I’ll drive the 40 miles or so from here to complete my errands by the end of the week. I’ve also made some additional reservations in the western part of Florida for the weekend. It doesn’t seem to be as big a problem booking a site away from the east coast.

Three TeePees in the woods for rent at the campground. They blend in well.

I continue to have difficulty with the need to book sites ahead of time. It limits the freedom of travel. I like the idea of being able to stay an extra night or two in a particular area if I find something interesting. Travel planning needs to be more complete than I’d like. In an ideal world, I would figure out a few options for the next night a day ahead of time. On the travel day I’d go as far as my mood or energy allowed then stop at one of my options. Instead, I need to book the stops ahead. I end up traveling further or stopping earlier in the day than I might if I didn’t have a reservation. On holiday weekends I need to book sites way ahead. I’m only guessing I’ll be able to keep my reservations for next Saturday and Sunday nights.

It was a sunny day with a high in the low 70s; a few degrees cooler than yesterday. I went to Lowes and Walmart to shop for gas grills. Neither of them have much of a selection of small grills. I think I will end up buying something online from Amazon when I get to Arizona. When I’m parked in one location for the month of March, the mail will have time to catch up with me.