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About the Header Image: Idlebrook Wendy Darling Evensen "Wendy" one of our four Labrador Retrievers.

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Sunday, September 2, 2012

Going Home - Florida to Georgia

Good morning,

I've finally had a chance to go through some more of the images from our trip home from Freedom of the Seas in Port Canaveral this past week.  Sunday was an extremely long day since we got up early to come into port ahead of Hurricane Isaac.  We had come through the Florida Straits from West to East less than 24 hours before Isaac came through in the opposite direction.  We experienced the outer bands and had some rocking and rolling, but that goes with being in the area in hurricane season. 

I had all the luggage packed, labeled, identified (with those red disks for easy ID on the dockside), and took a picture of each piece should any be hard to find and I needed to show the picture to someone helping me look.
Although overcast and extremely windy in the outer bands of Isaac, we were quite lucky to get off of the ship and the car loaded without drenching rain.  We headed North where the skies looked blue and welcoming.
We passed caravans of electric trucks headed into the hurricane zone to help with repairs.  At this time power was already out in Southern Florida.
We started counting groups of these trucks and estimate the total was well over 200.
It wasn't long before we saw Jacksonville on the horizon...
...and passed through...
...still under beautiful skies.
Georgia!  We hadn't been here for more than ten weeks.
In keeping with tradition, our first meal ashore was at Ihop at Exit 3 in Georgia.  :)  We are there often enough that we are greeted as old friends. 
Then it was back on the road where the parade of utility vehicles headed South continued.

We spent the night at a Hampton Inn near Savannah, Georgia.  Tomorrow we'll continue North.

I hope you are enjoying our road trip with us. 

Best,
Lois

19 comments:

Sherry said...

A seasoned traveler! I would never have thought to take a picture of bags in case they got lost!

Montanagirl said...

You sure are quite the travelers! I wouldn't have thought of taking a picture of my bags either!

Jan n Jer said...

Lucky you are staying ahead of the storm...so far!!! Good idea taking a photo of your luggage!!!

Anonymous said...

Seeing all those truck caravans reminds me of all those who are suffering due to Isaac.
You are passing through my state - I hope it is pleasant for you!

VP said...

Georgia is the only State where I drove, but the roads look quite different after thirty years...

Marit Johanne said...

It must have been a bit scary to drive just ahead of the hurricane. And all those trucks driving to help in the storm area. Good you got away from it. I am sure it is good to be home now, have you been baking any bread yet?

TexWisGirl said...

can tell you're a seasoned traveler - taking photos of the pieces of luggage is wise.

i really like that under-the-bridge shot. :)

Diana said...

I miss I Hop. We don't have one here, we don't have a lot of things here!!
Love Di ♥

Lois said...

I recognize that old overpass bridge in Jacksonville! If you look east you see what used to be the old downtown train depot, which is now the convention center. I grew up in Jacksonville Beach, but I used to go to that train station when we would take the train to Atlanta to visit my grandfather when I was little.

Yogi♪♪♪ said...

Interesting post. It's amazing that there is so much behind the scenes stuff done by private companies to help with hurricanes that we don't hear about too often.

I've read that Walmart is one of the best. They try and have supplies ready for people to buy right after a hurricane goes through.

Lynette said...

Good to know that y'all made it safe and sound. I always like the trips you two take us on, Lois. Thank goodness for the way power companies help each other in reaction to these woeful events.

Melbourne Australia Photos said...

Being away on vacation is great, but coming back home is grand!

Elaine said...

You must have been very thankful that you were headed north instead of south. Having Isaac on your tail had to make home look especially inviting.

Nedra said...

So glad you were able to get out before the storm hit. Seeing the pictures of the emergency trucks was so interesting. I guess I just didn't realize they came in such full force, one after another.

Beatrice P. Boyd said...

Lois, learned something valuable today, actually a couple of things - red disks are handy on luggage and taking photos of luggage is even better. Glad you and Kjell made it into port and to your vehicle and on the road safely. It was unsettling to see so many utility trucks headed in the opposite direction. Welcome home.

Lois Evensen said...

Hi Everyone,

Thanks so much for all of your kind words and welcome home.

Yes, we enjoy passing through Georgia. When we travel the other side, I75, we like to stop at the Farm House Restaurant in Lake Park.

Yes, I've been baking bread. Post to come. ;)

Regarding the luggage, since we pack and move every ten weeks (I do the packing/unpacking) I have it down to a science. BTW, the luggage ID disks are available in various colors in my store. It seems the color doesn't matter as long as you have matching ones on all checked pieces and put one on your carry-on to show to the porter.

This wasn't the first time we have had a hurricane chase us home. I remember Ivan doing the same a few years ago. And, there have been times when we have stayed on board extra time because of hurricanes. It all goes with being at sea during hurricane season.

Thanks, everyone, for stopping by and for your very kind comments.

All the very best,
Lois

Pat said...

Thanks for hopping on board Thursday's Things in a Row! Great shots!

Seeing all those electric trucks reminded me of seeing all those emergency trailers for homes being sent down to New Orleans after Katrina hit. We were driving back home to IL from AZ, taking the scenic route!

Pat said...

Thanks for hopping on board Thursday's Things in a Row! Great shots!

Seeing all those electric trucks reminded me of seeing all those emergency trailers for homes being sent down to New Orleans after Katrina hit. We were driving back home to IL from AZ, taking the scenic route!

SquirrelQueen said...

I'm glad you got ahead of the storm. All those utility trucks would have been a welcome sight in Southern Florida at that time.

I like your idea of the disc on the luggage. I have been using ribbon on the handles.