Victoria

Next Adventure ….

November 16, 2015November 11, 2015

I am on to my next adventure. I am relocating to Chicago for at least the next couple of months. I know my family will be really happy to have me there and I can figure out where I am going from there. My ultimate goal is to plan a fun road trip across the US and then maybe the world. I can always work while I am on the road I just want to change my view while I do it.

As I sit here in a hotel room outside of Nashville I wish that I had the time to stay here and explore not just the city of Nashville but also all of the parks and beautiful scenery. Ultimately I need to come up with a plan … I did discover that I am able to tow a small trailer behind my VW Beetle. That could be something really fun to decorate and have a little bit of wow out on the road.

I know that leaving Key West was the best thing for me to do. My Grandma is happy to see me when I am not trying to make her eat some meat and veggies vs. cookies and candy. For those of you that don’t know she is 89 and has Alzheimer’s and Dementia. She was diagnosed with cancer about 10 years ago and that really changed her way of life. She was diagnosed with breast cancer and within 2 weeks had a mastectomy of her right breast. After that she had various rounds of chemo and radiation. She has been cancer free for at least 7 years and health wise is fine. Her brain on the other hand is what really took a beating. Sometimes I think that she doesn’t even know who I am. She looks at me and says “Hi Sweetie, How long are you here for?” and then goes into a series of questions about how I am doing and wanting to know more about my life.

Grammie - Alzheimer's and Dementia — She looks happy in this photo. This is how I would like to remember her.

Caring for someone with Alzheimer’s and Dementia can be extremely difficult at times. Let’s be real … it is difficult all the time. Unless you personally know someone with the diseases or care for someone it’s a lot more work than you would think. Arguing with someone who is your Grandmother and pretty much begging them to eat dinner that you know is good for them is not the easiest thing I have ever done. She has gotten much worse since the last time I saw her.

So onto my new adventure. I don’t know where I am going to end up but only time can tell me that. I know I will be in Chicago for the Holiday’s.

All Aboard with Amtrak

November 13, 2015November 13, 2015

In a last minute decision I decided to take an Amtrak train from my parents house in Joliet, IL to St. Louis. I had already planned on going to St. Louis this weekend for the Chicago Blackhawks game on Saturday night and the Chicago Bears game on Sunday. One of my best friends lives in St. Louis so I decided to take the train down a day early so I could hang out with her. I can’t remember the last time I was on a train like this. I have to say that I am actually impressed. My ticket was only $27.00 for an unreserved Coach seat.

They have free WIFI while on-board and also power outlets in every seat. These are things that I would like to have when I fly somewhere and usually you are paying for the WIFI and the power outlets are only in First Class. All of the seats are large and plush, what you could typically once again find in First Class on an airplane. The Café Car is also a very convenient option since I will be on here for about 4.5 hours. If you look up the travel time it’s about the same time and I am able to relax, write a blog, read a book and have a Bloody Mary …. Shhhhh don’t tell anyone it was before 12!

As I watch the small farm towns pass by I just want to drift off into a nice relaxing sleep until we make it to our destination. This experience will be even better once they have a whole fleet of high speed trains and the commute will be even shorter than driving.

Mystic Falls

November 10, 2015November 9, 2015

I have been a fan of The Vampire Diaries since the beginning of the series. Mystic Falls, / Covington Georgia has been on my list to visit for quite some time!

I stopped by the town once before on a road trip and thought it was delightful. I knew I needed to spend more time there so when I decided to move from Key West to Chicago with a route that took me past Atlanta it was a no brainer. Covington, Georgia was where I needed to make my first stop.

After driving all day I checked into my hotel, got a good nights sleep and woke up bright and early ready to explore. Before going to the town square I went to the local Waffle House to grab a quick bite to eat. To my surprise this really is a wonderful small town. Almost everyone who walked in was greeted by name. If I were looking for a quaint small town to visit or spend the rest of my life in this could be it. They have the best of both worlds. Small and friendly and close to Atlanta for any big city needs.

To my surprise as I drove into the town square I started to see a lot of film equipment and signs saying that they were filming in the area today. BONUS! YEA! I asked the first person I saw and they confirmed that they were in fact filming scenes for The Vampire Diaries, Season 7!

I had already signed up to take the Vampire Stalkers tour around town to various filming locations. We met at the local visitors center and got some info and instructions for our tour. I wish they would have told me that’s where we were meeting for the tour. I didn’t know this when I was trying to park my car. Had I known I would not have spent so much time with the early morning parking. I understand they have some limitations when it comes to crowd size but I wish they had a bigger van – bus so that more people could travel together. It would cut down on travel time and also give the people on the tour more face time with the guide. With that said Angie was wonderful and was always asking if we had any other questions. The tour was $55 and lasted a little over 3 hours. If you want more information about the tour please visit their website here. www.mysticfallstours.com

One of the coolest things was that we were able to visit the Lockwood Mansion which is a privately owned property and this tour is the only one that has access. The grounds and house are one of a kind. The owner was there and happy to answer any questions we had about the property. The house was built back in the 1840’s and still has that old world charm.

Along with the old world charm they have a wonderful property. The owners bought the property at 1.5 acres and now have over 5 acres. The small old stable house overlooking the backyard was my favorite place.

The visitors center is a great place to stop even without the tour. Did you know that the Dukes of Hazzard and Sweet Home Alabama were also filmed in Covington and the surrounding Newton County. It was very interesting to see how this city promotes the use of the town and the surrounding areas for filming.

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