tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4159235801423936932024-03-12T16:31:01.955-07:002Shoes TravelGandhi said, "I want freedom for the full expression of my personality ." I can identify . Scratching the itch to be free from and free to, I traded my stilettos for Keens and leaped off the escalator of modern life . This Blog depicts some of the impressions and experiences I've had along the way .RMNewellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01978610851277188149noreply@blogger.comBlogger126125truetag:blogger.com,1999:blog-415923580142393693.post-60176304626568914792022-11-05T11:11:00.004-07:002022-11-05T11:11:33.037-07:00Catalina Island<iframe width="480" height="270" src="https://youtube.com/embed/PEK9m7E4nVw" frameborder="0"></iframe>RMNewellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01978610851277188149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-415923580142393693.post-67059816202440798992022-11-05T09:32:00.004-07:002022-11-05T09:32:59.146-07:00GMC Savana Van Build<iframe width="480" height="270" src="https://youtube.com/embed/7mqGMAEdpFE" frameborder="0"></iframe>RMNewellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01978610851277188149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-415923580142393693.post-21209048729706773722022-11-04T11:35:00.003-07:002022-11-04T11:35:53.173-07:00Busting Out of the Box<iframe style="background-image:url(https://i.ytimg.com/vi/gzzH3l1IPjI/hqdefault.jpg)" width="480" height="270" src="https://youtube.com/embed/gzzH3l1IPjI" frameborder="0"></iframe>RMNewellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01978610851277188149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-415923580142393693.post-64952692002944205232020-06-29T09:13:00.001-07:002020-06-29T09:28:13.334-07:00Women 50+ are Taking Over Adventure Travel<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/JNhpFW7dNVA" width="480"></iframe>RMNewellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01978610851277188149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-415923580142393693.post-25500603800543209702016-01-05T12:00:00.001-08:002016-01-05T12:05:16.862-08:00Surf, street eats, succulents: Oceanside's Sunset Market <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<img alt="Crowds stroll Sunset Market along Pier View Way." src="http://media.sdreader.com/img/croppedphotos/2016/01/04/oceanside_sunset_market_1_t658.png?ff95ca2b4c25d2d6ff3bfb257febf11d604414e5" height="108" width="200"><br>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Baskerville, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 15px; letter-spacing: 0.75px; line-height: 24px;">Every Thursday night for the last eight years, starting at 5 p.m., Oceanside’s </span><a href="http://www.mainstreetoceanside.com/#!sunset-market/c1yvd" style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; color: #18629d; font-family: Georgia, Baskerville, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 15px; letter-spacing: 0.75px; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Sunset Market</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Baskerville, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 15px; letter-spacing: 0.75px; line-height: 24px;"> kicks off. Consuming four blocks down near the pier, this market’s more than your standard farmer’s fair. With live music on every corner, festive lights, spicy aromas and boisterous vendors, downtown becomes a family-friendly party.</span><br>
</div><a href="http://2shoestravel.blogspot.com/2016/01/surf-street-eats-succulents.html#more">Read more »</a>RMNewellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01978610851277188149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-415923580142393693.post-39231149269492765522015-12-15T12:52:00.001-08:002015-12-15T12:53:45.103-08:00Altadena: a rustic Los Angeles <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<img alt="L.A. smog over Altadena, 15 miles northeast in the San Gabriel foothills." src="http://media.sdreader.com/img/croppedphotos/2015/06/29/Altadena_view1_t658.jpeg?ff95ca2b4c25d2d6ff3bfb257febf11d604414e5" height="108" style="background-color: transparent;" width="200" /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Author Zane Grey said, "In Altadena I have found those qualities that make life worth living." </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Walking down Mariposa Street, “Millionaire’s Row,” where Grey’s home still stands – past the oversized craftsman-style bungalows and through <a href="http://www.janesvillage.net/" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-source: initial; border-image-width: initial; border: 0px; color: #18629d; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Janes Village</a>, the English cottage-style homes set back behind fences and overgrown hedges as an affordable housing option for the town founded on Victorian opulence – you’d never suspect that anything but easy, quiet living transpired in this small community. (<a href="http://www.sandiegoreader.com/news/2015/jun/29/travel-altadena-rustic-los-angeles/">Read more...</a>)</span></div>
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RMNewellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01978610851277188149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-415923580142393693.post-5945979570693115282015-12-15T12:49:00.001-08:002015-12-15T12:54:16.407-08:00SoCal's San Dunes<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<img alt="The larger dunes are on the west side of the North Algodones Dunes Wilderness (2.5 hours from San Diego)." src="http://media.sdreader.com/img/croppedphotos/2015/10/16/algodones_dunes_west1_t658.png?ff95ca2b4c25d2d6ff3bfb257febf11d604414e5" height="108" width="200" /><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">I typically love the sea, sun and sand. Interestingly though, not all the sands I’m drawn to lie in coastal regions. In fact, most of the sand on Earth is stacked in massive piles in remote areas – rarely in coastal regions, which you might expect. That doesn't stop surfing sufis from hitting the slopes.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">The Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve in Colorado claims the continent’s tallest dune, Star Dune at 750’. This particular dune is estimated to be approximately 12,000 years old, formed by deposits carried down the Rio Grande River canyon.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">But SoCal’s got its share of sand. (<a href="http://www.sandiegoreader.com/news/2015/oct/16/travel-southern-california-sand-dunes-surf-see/">Read more...</a>)</span></div>
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RMNewellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01978610851277188149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-415923580142393693.post-90592425373976765872015-12-15T12:43:00.001-08:002015-12-15T12:45:48.713-08:00The Queen Mary's Sir Winston's Smoking Deck<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<img alt="The iconic 1936 British ocean liner in the California sunshine. " src="http://media.sdreader.com/img/croppedphotos/2015/11/30/Queen_Mary_long_beach_1_t658.png?ff95ca2b4c25d2d6ff3bfb257febf11d604414e5" height="108" width="200" /><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="background-color: white; letter-spacing: 0.05em; line-height: 24px;">There is no smoking on the </span><em style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Queen Mary</em><span style="background-color: white; letter-spacing: 0.05em; line-height: 24px;">. Signs are posted everywhere stating just that. So, when we arrived at the topmost deck to dine at the luxurious Sir Winston's Restaurant and Lounge, I noted the rather large glass front humidor.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">“Are those for sale?” I asked.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">The tall waiter raised an eyebrow at me, wondering if I had asked because I, myself, indulge. I smiled and shrugged, not feeling the need to explain my inquiry.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">“Uh, yes, they are,” he answered, still considering the type of gal I might be.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">“But, there’s no smoking allowed on board,” I offered. He smiled hugely at this comment.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">“True, there isn’t. Except for this portion of the deck right here.” The young man gestured to me where I might smoke a cigar if I so chose. “And on the bow.” (<a href="http://www.sandiegoreader.com/news/2015/nov/30/travel-queen-mary-long-beach-sir-winstons/#.Vly2mxU8Xj0.facebook">Read more...</a>)</span></div>
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RMNewellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01978610851277188149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-415923580142393693.post-2621195136690065632015-09-16T10:17:00.003-07:002020-08-13T08:45:32.237-07:00ZAPPED!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaR6404kHEFDbwEebh2Iv4ckU-CIn6OiYTmCYiB3siHnVnqF1u-Ox5eM7ABraEZ6AnygsN06MV6UuAIYoGnY05tcreo66fZ5-F7qraSOnMcAhPJav57r-oUa9mKjIwCKFZAC6CrGMIfR8/s1600/OomPa123+on+deviantart+creative+commons.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaR6404kHEFDbwEebh2Iv4ckU-CIn6OiYTmCYiB3siHnVnqF1u-Ox5eM7ABraEZ6AnygsN06MV6UuAIYoGnY05tcreo66fZ5-F7qraSOnMcAhPJav57r-oUa9mKjIwCKFZAC6CrGMIfR8/s200/OomPa123+on+deviantart+creative+commons.jpg" width="200"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo Credit: Deviant Art</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">You can zig,
and you can zag, but lightning kills about 30 people in the US each year, and
more in Florida than in any other state. Of the 25 lightning deaths reported by
the National Weather Service (NWS) already this year, five have occurred in
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</div></div><a href="http://2shoestravel.blogspot.com/2015/09/zapped.html#more">Read more »</a>RMNewellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01978610851277188149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-415923580142393693.post-44018076822062956232015-07-04T10:12:00.001-07:002015-09-16T06:58:25.224-07:00Welcome to East Jesus, CA <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEg85kfSJJHalOgS7xf1KCIrCv9e_xbzKi4kmO0oQbJ9cdN27jQpWZT0YyEX1ca10WYn_Ah4LIiIqt6vx5yA5COapTHl5pafQwu7xxWu-ft-Yvte04a0snV1_pD4UgIDJ1cdilSPJTNWyKLp4aSpFl2_mu5RkMt6aBbGLcJJJLALlXz-OOfYLtzsdKTKbRh3aR_GcRQAI81iA8rk8x41b0HqegIOcup0oq4074G37yj7M6xRzzlhwYEM0xxS=" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; font-family: Georgia, Baskerville, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="A half-buried bus named Walter greets visitors to East Jesus, a self-sustaining art community in the Southern California desert." border="0" src="http://media.sdreader.com/img/croppedphotos/2015/03/17/East_Jesus_CA_bus1_t658.png?ff95ca2b4c25d2d6ff3bfb257febf11d604414e5" height="108" width="200" /></a><div style="text-align: left;">
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: 0.75px; line-height: 24px;">Overlooking the Salton Sea in the shadow of mature Ironwood trees rests a man still much loved. The former “mayor” of East Jesus</span><span style="font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: 0.75px; line-height: 24px;">, a fenced community of free-roaming, ever-rotating artists, musicians, scientists and builders located on the far western edge of Slab City</span><span style="font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: 0.75px; line-height: 24px;">, Charlie Russell rests in peace. <a href="http://www.sandiegoreader.com/news/2015/mar/17/travel-welcome-east-jesus-ca/">Read More...</a></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEgLDvJ-iqEJDv2GhsAA4IPFwLhjziR-T6aV5pQI1O-OikJZWucvy_lAwV4MqKm7XoOs61prmADCcIhBJhpFkDDq0gwQWrXirmwKELaB9SaU87U0vYoHbkp_v3C-BztmPBoaTtSfOuUoDGMGAhbfZ7W5RD9nE51pdlCZKR6ZGJygocyLGm20t8laKg0pPUfGR1BLZv8PUmMV-XAYAyRNxFDXrdqnAo9xyz8xKlftFmILlKHOljVzz3STE39hgb5FiCODLA=" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; font-family: Georgia, Baskerville, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Avalon's harbor and Catalina Casino from the Inn at Mount Ada." border="0" src="http://media.sdreader.com/img/croppedphotos/2015/04/14/catalina_inn_mount_ada1_t658.png?ff95ca2b4c25d2d6ff3bfb257febf11d604414e5" height="108" width="200" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0.05em;">Santa Catalina Island, one of the Channel Islands, (but not included in the Channel Islands National Park), lies 22 miles off the southern California coast. though it is privately owned by the Santa Catalina Island Company, it's accessible by private boat or ferried that leave from Long Beach and Dana Point. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.05em;">You can get there, to what locals call the "</span><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; letter-spacing: 0.05em; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Interior</span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.05em;">," by obtaining a hiking permit and trekking the 37-mile (one way, 74 miles round-trip)</span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.05em;"> </span>Trans-Catalina Trai<span style="letter-spacing: 0.05em;">l, or by purchasing a ticket to ride on the SafariBus.</span>I should clarify: the island’s two port towns are accessible to the public. The rest of the island is not. Not, at least, without a permit. </span><a href="http://www.sandiegoreader.com/news/2015/apr/14/travel-catalina-island-calling/" style="font-family: Georgia, Baskerville, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif;">Read More...</a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEjxvPI0Hty80QXW__bivt0BlaLKoXtH0hB3EeR-5I8ySB4vlldYoX9as__-2EX6NM_qvL-YBXMsAtF-Qu2Sr5kB5j31OvOVTwXgo7QrKN6zRGQlaQAW2i3p-lBfZrEH8Now-yXSR9HQBkOvBAQoqP45fFBSFTX9g0Tvz8XyWk3KmvusuVO6xIGlHhbfMZiOER6Q39egL5D5xLBzMZGacQGGzkhqSlA181Oasx2MrzFRlWmKhU3D4ZgS-AN2Kiz5TkVox3T9pA6KLw=" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; font-family: Georgia, Baskerville, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="The Washington homestead at northern Virginia's George Washington Birthplace National Monument." border="0" src="http://media.sdreader.com/img/croppedphotos/2015/05/19/george_washington_birthplace1_t658.png?ff95ca2b4c25d2d6ff3bfb257febf11d604414e5" height="108" width="200" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"George Washington slept here!" And he did, too. Truth be told, he slept there as well. And there. What can I say? The man got around. With four family homes, you’d expect as much. He was partial to the spirits, too, but I’ll get to that.<br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Mount Vernon<span style="letter-spacing: 0.05em; line-height: 24px;">, 15 miles south of Washington, D.C., is perhaps the most known of his homes. It also happens to be the most popular historic estate in America, drawing over a million visitors annually. <a href="http://www.sandiegoreader.com/news/2015/may/19/travel-mount-vernon-washington-birthplace-virginia/">Read More...</a></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEiw9q0QfBUYeVEvv2_lbp1QyH4Rl1HzTC9mz7UhQc4lynjfVUzsqDH3rAiN6rdGQQiEZb3edUHpvf5qlkgwAsgxX1qYXJ1oxwkJrKS59dWsoXqE2pbJa3XzsvCsI86sPceaVuzVMvqhA4lZza3LF1_K_geDIMub7qJrNTsuL56Hl3Drb6Ub0jFpny6J0Fv0t0uoIaCE8ja4ecFr1AtHhruOzYKFGQUmCKRuaMH34OgQiESyWsmkSA71=" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="L.A. smog over Altadena, 15 miles northeast in the San Gabriel foothills." border="0" src="http://media.sdreader.com/img/croppedphotos/2015/06/29/Altadena_view1_t658.jpeg?ff95ca2b4c25d2d6ff3bfb257febf11d604414e5" height="108" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Author Zane Grey said, "In Altadena I have found those qualities that make life worth living." </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; letter-spacing: 0.05em; line-height: 24px;">Walking down Mariposa Street, “Millionaire’s Row,” where Grey’s home still stands – past the </span><span style="font-size: 15px; letter-spacing: 0.75px; line-height: 24px;">over-sized</span><span style="font-size: 15px; letter-spacing: 0.05em; line-height: 24px;"> craftsman-style bungalows and through Janes Village, the English cottage-style homes set back behind fences and overgrown hedges as an affordable housing option for the town founded on Victorian opulence – you’d never suspect that anything but easy, quiet living transpired in this small community. <a href="http://www.sandiegoreader.com/news/2015/jun/29/travel-altadena-rustic-los-angeles/">Read More...</a></span></span></div>
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<a href="http://media.sdreader.com/img/croppedphotos/2015/02/24/KennedySpaceCenter_entrance1_t658.jpeg?ff95ca2b4c25d2d6ff3bfb257febf11d604414e5" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Entrance to Cape Canaveral's Kennedy Space Center, 20 minutes north of Cocoa Beach. " border="0" src="http://media.sdreader.com/img/croppedphotos/2015/02/24/KennedySpaceCenter_entrance1_t658.jpeg?ff95ca2b4c25d2d6ff3bfb257febf11d604414e5" height="108" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Houston, all systems are GO. We are ready for takeoff! Final countdown. 4, 3, 2, 1 Liftoff!”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">America’s Space Coast with its telltale 321 area code extends for 75 miles along the Atlantic, south of Daytona, and encompasses both the Kennedy Space Center and the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station where NASA-launched manned (and unmanned) spaceflights have departed from 1961 with Project Mercury to the final days of the 30-year Space Shuttle Program that closed in 2011. <a href="http://www.sandiegoreader.com/news/2015/feb/24/travel-florida-space-coast-cocoa-beach/">Read More...</a></span></div>
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RMNewellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01978610851277188149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-415923580142393693.post-10965646889762449642014-07-24T22:11:00.002-07:002014-07-24T22:32:02.726-07:00Conquistadors, Confederates, and Cattle: Florida's Cracker Culture<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="background: white;">There
is a Longhorn standing in front of me, only I’m not in Texas. Just beyond the
urban borders of Florida’s metro regions, lies the wild stuff, the un-manicured
and non irrigated Florida, where the cattle roam.</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="background: white;">Yep,
you heard me. Cattle. Descendants of those abandoned by the gold seeking
Conquistadors, bred with imported heat resistant varieties from Texas and
India.</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</div></div><a href="http://2shoestravel.blogspot.com/2014/07/conquistadors-confederates-and-cattle.html#more">Read more »</a>RMNewellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01978610851277188149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-415923580142393693.post-47317396031688583682014-07-24T19:21:00.001-07:002015-03-20T12:13:15.678-07:00Coral, Coquina, and Oolite—The Castles Disney Didn’t Build<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The winter playground
for America’s Industrial blue blood, Florida boasts many grand estates that are
open to the public. Perhaps best known for Walt Disney’s Cinderella Castle
in Orlando, Universal Studio’s Hogwart's Castle, and Ripley’s Moorish
style <a href="http://www.ripleys.com/staugustine/your-visit/history-of-the-museum/">Warden
Castle </a>in St. Augustine, the state lays claim to several less
publicized castles. Built in the Gilded Age by the country’s<span style="color: #595959;"> </span><i>nouveau riche</i><span style="color: #595959;"> </span>who
were inspired to build replicas of castles that had been erected by the very
monarchies our founders sought refuge and independence from, many of these
structures are recognized National Landmarks.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</div></div></div><a href="http://2shoestravel.blogspot.com/2014/07/floridian-castles-that-disney-didnt.html#more">Read more »</a>RMNewellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01978610851277188149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-415923580142393693.post-59097184713963411852014-07-15T09:57:00.000-07:002015-03-20T11:40:37.362-07:00Florida's Hill Country along the Ridge Scenic Highway<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="background: white;">Loads
of tourists come to the Sunshine State each year to absorb some vitamin D along
the</span> <span style="background: white; color: #222222;">1,350</span> miles of coastline. <span style="background: white;">Being a peninsula, it’s surrounded by water and, being
significantly marshland, is comprised of more than</span> <span style="background: white;">4,500 islands. Then there are its 7,500 lakes.</span> <span style="background: white;"> Florida sports 27 first magnitude springs, more
than any other state. In fact, Florida barely qualifies as solid land
sitting just above sea level.</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="background: white;">County
after county, Florida is an expanse of water infused flatland riddled by sink
holes and cedar hammocks, the tell-tale sign of a potential sink hole. However, there</span> <i><span style="background: white;">are</span></i> <span style="background: white;">few hills. A few mountains even.</span><o:p></o:p></span><br>
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</div></div></div><a href="http://2shoestravel.blogspot.com/2014/07/floridas-hill-country-along-ridge.html#more">Read more »</a>RMNewellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01978610851277188149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-415923580142393693.post-39843679500137828862014-06-12T06:34:00.000-07:002014-06-13T06:17:32.515-07:00Be a Marine!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP6RkE2Vl8W_AFkq4VJE5-wBk4itbumyZRHLpfQZr-vaDPGa5O7jWoZ7NZCrosyN9Y7NrcJvSOOv8GuBEvjblOzSnjTJ4LDaQCw3TIM0upjEN0uPot5pxINlqnLi-VrMv-PevtyQXhNP0/s1600/beamarine.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP6RkE2Vl8W_AFkq4VJE5-wBk4itbumyZRHLpfQZr-vaDPGa5O7jWoZ7NZCrosyN9Y7NrcJvSOOv8GuBEvjblOzSnjTJ4LDaQCw3TIM0upjEN0uPot5pxINlqnLi-VrMv-PevtyQXhNP0/s1600/beamarine.jpg" height="152" width="200"></a></div>
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<span style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">"Be a
Marine" read the 1940 style poster archived at the entrance to the
<a href="http://www.usmcmuseum.org/">National Museum of the Marine Corps</a> in Triangle, Virginia not far from
Quantico. The female Marine depicted was holding a clip board, I noted, but if
this was any indication that female Marines would be clearly and fairly
depicted in the following exhibits, I'd be impressed. <span style="font-size: small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Turning the
corner, I see a dozen photos of female Marines, three erected beside the quote,
"The Marine Corps...took a boy and made a man." A cynical voice
inside me whispered, 'Figures'.</span></span></div>
</div><a href="http://2shoestravel.blogspot.com/2014/06/be-marine.html#more">Read more »</a>RMNewellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01978610851277188149noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-415923580142393693.post-777309725649301062014-06-12T05:13:00.002-07:002014-06-12T05:14:29.341-07:00The Happy Shak—A Throwback Hippy’s Haven on the Beach <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">“For Sale!?” Good God, NO! It couldn’t be. Not an icon of the most blissful
season of my life—what was I to do if this were true? What did it all mean? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I almost hadn’t come,
dreading to resurrect the memories I had long since quite effectively buried. But, as Fate would have it, a series of mishaps had sent me
back retracing bits of the path he and I had trekked a few years earlier, and
there I was, and there it wasn’t. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Then I saw it. The sign.</span><br>
</div></div><a href="http://2shoestravel.blogspot.com/2014/06/the-happy-shaka-throwback-hippys-haven.html#more">Read more »</a>RMNewellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01978610851277188149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-415923580142393693.post-77153743068291326742014-04-18T14:24:00.000-07:002014-04-19T04:40:29.349-07:00Solo Trekking Sisters: Women Who Walk Alone<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtv0inyzAuCS42Jh7T9Z5HRDpn7FOR8LOHZTogpeHWbKzyL2tEaieIoXQu_8-t1-JONIqEVRMiBguyj-HWPTJs9hVKJiY4wjJGvNN5O5BKvsZHfQaGQ-hQPdbkUEfL2Wnawu3vN8QmjTw/s1600/Coast+to+Crest+Trail+east.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtv0inyzAuCS42Jh7T9Z5HRDpn7FOR8LOHZTogpeHWbKzyL2tEaieIoXQu_8-t1-JONIqEVRMiBguyj-HWPTJs9hVKJiY4wjJGvNN5O5BKvsZHfQaGQ-hQPdbkUEfL2Wnawu3vN8QmjTw/s1600/Coast+to+Crest+Trail+east.JPG" height="157" width="200"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Coast to Crest Trail, west of the Pacific Crest Trail</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The man sitting across from me
looked at his wife then turned abruptly back towards me asking, “Why are you
alone?” <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Stunned, I sat silently, trying
to better understand the question by studying his mannerisms. I had just
emerged from a week solo hiking in Death Valley and was re-hydrating in Shoshone,
a small town that serves as the “Eastern Gateway” into the Valley.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br></div>
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">“I mean,” the man continued,
glancing at his wife. ”I don’t understand why a woman like you…” She kicked him
under the table. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br></div>
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">OH. That’s where he was going
with this line of inquiry. Women who travel solo hear it often. I hear it in
almost every destination where I stop to mingle with other travelers. From men <i>and </i>from women, but, mostly from the
guys. Understandably, because though women travel and always have, those who do
it solo, especially those who do it primarily <i>on foot </i>solo, are a rare breed far and few between. And, also
because solo adventuring historically has been viewed a man’s thing. You know,
when his cave just isn’t big enough, or when it’s just too darn close to
civilization.</span></span></div>
</div><a href="http://2shoestravel.blogspot.com/2014/04/solo-trekking-sisters-woman-who-walk.html#more">Read more »</a>RMNewellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01978610851277188149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-415923580142393693.post-82640382032916823082014-02-21T19:55:00.000-08:002014-02-25T05:20:30.520-08:00The Non Spelunker's Guide to Caving<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<br></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfEDRn7GxxlzI6m02yzwkAj2H-oW_I5GCFyi5J6HM-LEy4K4mRJSncvGKwEyfJxJ6xpbq5xowyiaZurMrm8HjCVBM9FLxujDHbY_N3kmDcFftaUv_raibiLm-pewma2w4k26f_iAm8BD4/s1600/crystal+cave.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfEDRn7GxxlzI6m02yzwkAj2H-oW_I5GCFyi5J6HM-LEy4K4mRJSncvGKwEyfJxJ6xpbq5xowyiaZurMrm8HjCVBM9FLxujDHbY_N3kmDcFftaUv_raibiLm-pewma2w4k26f_iAm8BD4/s1600/crystal+cave.jpg" height="133" width="200"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo courtesy Creative Commons.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Most caves keep a constant median temperature. That in large
part is why humans have use them as shelter since the beginning of time. They
don’t get too cold; they don’t get too warm. Not so with Crystal Caves in Nancia,
Mexico. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Discovered in 2000 by miners working for the<span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 115%;"> </span></span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Industrias_Pe%C3%B1oles" title="Industrias Peñoles"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; line-height: 115%; text-decoration: none;">Industrias Peñoles</span></a><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 115%;">, this cave sits above a magma pool. The stable
122 degree Fahrenheit make it inaccessible to visitors not donning </span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 115%;">refrigerated suits and cold breathing systems</span><span class="apple-converted-space">. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="apple-converted-space"><span class="apple-converted-space"></span></span></span></div>
</div><a href="http://2shoestravel.blogspot.com/2014/02/the-non-spelunkers-guide-to-caving.html#more">Read more »</a>RMNewellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01978610851277188149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-415923580142393693.post-63233939533177892152014-02-21T18:16:00.000-08:002015-03-20T12:06:09.412-07:00 Putting the CHILL in Chillaxin': Florida's Ice Festival and Bar<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtb4TsTjFWliK5NxPnGLWET8wGEqEaCN9MxJuRUVR6KD4_l2SmJ1GxWPwqp1hDYMwV6M_SHifVBnGUhuhhbwnfQX7Ga_2TVmj3kQmrGpk4-Ux9hp3XstBV73muJIOhBoA42TpPGP9Brk8/s1600/Ice.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtb4TsTjFWliK5NxPnGLWET8wGEqEaCN9MxJuRUVR6KD4_l2SmJ1GxWPwqp1hDYMwV6M_SHifVBnGUhuhhbwnfQX7Ga_2TVmj3kQmrGpk4-Ux9hp3XstBV73muJIOhBoA42TpPGP9Brk8/s1600/Ice.jpg" height="149" width="200"></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">There truly is something gloriously wonderful about light through
ice. Andersen’s Snow Queen certainly thought so. And so, too, does Jennifer
Lee’s Elsa in Disney’s<i> Frozen</i>. Yet, those ladies’s didn’t
hold an icicle to Empress Anna.</span><br>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br></span>
<br>
</div></div><a href="http://2shoestravel.blogspot.com/2014/02/travel-putting-chill-in-chillaxin.html#more">Read more »</a>RMNewellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01978610851277188149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-415923580142393693.post-87657673425514379242014-02-21T06:01:00.000-08:002014-02-25T05:13:59.157-08:00Texas Canyon, Arizona<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgY_rYVDs0s8P7iSfeNGnseQg00L4faX68pVgfP96jbdK2G44y2j4drSw1Eie3n3WqP-tqqhq04Koapwt0Rv_K-zCnpJwdjh-gfHa-NJSVcJuhYR5UTUcxkfoHPOAvwkvS4RqjZ4nmDY0/s1600/TX+canyon2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgY_rYVDs0s8P7iSfeNGnseQg00L4faX68pVgfP96jbdK2G44y2j4drSw1Eie3n3WqP-tqqhq04Koapwt0Rv_K-zCnpJwdjh-gfHa-NJSVcJuhYR5UTUcxkfoHPOAvwkvS4RqjZ4nmDY0/s1600/TX+canyon2.jpg" height="143" width="200"></a></div>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">Located about 20 miles east
of<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">Benson</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">,
Arizona, along</span><span class="apple-converted-space" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 115%;"> </span></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">I-10</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> east</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;"> lies the<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">Dragoon
Mountains<span class="apple-converted-space">, a
geological landmark studded with massive</span>
batholiths. I-10 has several of these
formations from San Diego eastward frequented by big rock enthusiasts, each
with its own tale to tell. This particular site at Texas Canyon Rest Area encompasses
the peaks once used by Apache resistance leaders. </span><br>
</div></div><a href="http://2shoestravel.blogspot.com/2014/02/travel-texas-canyon-arizona.html#more">Read more »</a>RMNewellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01978610851277188149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-415923580142393693.post-58512277382966858532014-01-04T09:32:00.001-08:002014-01-04T09:41:22.495-08:00Cobras and Crocs South of the Border<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDwaFNPnhrWLjRjw9sCemLVwd75sUdzPX0DQOTgYTK5JA64FAkES2rezXS3PR-w7DytusllrK0eQg18-gtgNMd-f_dXLKVEg7qz3avH1kesBJfQ8vcSH7uNxrafPnJDreeoqtPx97K_L4/s1600/Emerald+Tree+Boa.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="156" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDwaFNPnhrWLjRjw9sCemLVwd75sUdzPX0DQOTgYTK5JA64FAkES2rezXS3PR-w7DytusllrK0eQg18-gtgNMd-f_dXLKVEg7qz3avH1kesBJfQ8vcSH7uNxrafPnJDreeoqtPx97K_L4/s200/Emerald+Tree+Boa.jpg" width="200"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Emerald Tree Boa, Pedro's Reptile Lagoon</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Folks in Southern California, being in close proximity to
Mexico, can quite easily make the border crossing when wanting to spice things
up culturally. Those living on the east
coast can’t. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Hold up! Yes, they can—if
Pedro’s South of the Border (SOB) in South Carolina counts. </span></div>
<br>
</div><a href="http://2shoestravel.blogspot.com/2014/01/pedros-cobras-and-crocks-south-of-border.html#more">Read more »</a>RMNewellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01978610851277188149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-415923580142393693.post-77533279535441707012013-12-29T10:04:00.000-08:002013-12-29T17:20:34.540-08:00Freestyling: Life of the Long Term Traveler<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCSLI1pcHqguG3bSzHszPcbo4Mv2bZ8GXkfkO3mxOq7mPFG0C7paaGYb_UUQQeRInsjqqW_leJKEJJJ3gElM0YwIseHPD-dn6qwlkm5aJpF8QU58vhTLBlaLBKyVguHrRxTPBQPRzePEk/s1600/cartent.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="151" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCSLI1pcHqguG3bSzHszPcbo4Mv2bZ8GXkfkO3mxOq7mPFG0C7paaGYb_UUQQeRInsjqqW_leJKEJJJ3gElM0YwIseHPD-dn6qwlkm5aJpF8QU58vhTLBlaLBKyVguHrRxTPBQPRzePEk/s200/cartent.jpg" width="200"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Car tent camping </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A few years ago I decided to take a gap year off from work and
social responsibility to travel at my own pace doing what I wanted with whom I
wanted wherever the wind blew me. I had been a single parent for twenty years
living on a nominal income and felt I deserved it. Felt if I didn’t do it then,
I’d never do it. So, I got rid of my stuff and tapped the first of many
destinations into my Garmin. </span></span><br>
</div></div><a href="http://2shoestravel.blogspot.com/2013/12/freestyling-life-of-long-term-traveler.html#more">Read more »</a>RMNewellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01978610851277188149noreply@blogger.com2