The adventure of a lifetime begins - March 28, 2019

Life has always been a series of adventures for everyone. But then there is that one dream adventure. The one you think about when shackled to a work station, when you have a hard time falling asleep, the one that always brings a smile to your face.

Well kids, this is the big one. Even as a kid when I went exploring the neighborhood I lived in, I always called these local sojourns "adventures." Now I am on my lifelong dream adventure and I am doing it solo.

Not that I didn't want Doug to come along, he just doesn't care about traveling. So he told me to go ahead and do it! After last April, when once again we got more snow than we had all winter - I HAD it! I adore the Northwoods 11 months of the year. April is just plain nasty. White snow turning into dirty brown mud, waiting for the emerging tree buds and flowers poking through the soil not until the end of May is just not a pretty thing.

In June I started shopping for a minivan. I belong to a couple of websites for RV's, camping, and women camping. I was intrigued by the whole glamping thing. I looked at "canned ham" campers, thought about making over our popup or even buying a camper.

I don't know what inspired me - but I thought that buying a minivan, using it as a bedroom and towing all my camping gear in a small cargo trailer would be the perfect set up for me - economical, easy driving, comfortable sleeping ( a MUST HAVE) and still enjoying the camping experience.

I bought the minivan for $750 in July. Cosmetically kind of rough - but mechanically sound, much to my and my mechanics surprise - a 2003 Ford Windstar. What happened after that was something akin to an obsession. For the next 10 months I planned, bought, researched every aspect I could think of for my Adventure.

The UPS guy must have thought I owned stock in Amazon. It was a blast thinking of every nuance to make this adventure a reality. As departure time approached, even Doug got caught up in the spirit and said he just might join me one of these times. SHOCKER!!!!

The date was set - March 28 so I could visit my friend, Robin, on my way south. Oh - that's right - my destination. The beach! And the closest, warmest beach was on the Emerald Coast - the north coast of the Gulf of Mexico. Over the decades I had visited several communities that I really liked - Gulf Shores, Pensacola, Panama City Beach, etc.

After talking to friends who live down there I decided to head to Big Lagoon State Park in Florida, just to the west of Pensacola, right on the Alabama state line. Research continued about places to stay along the way. Boondocking (free camping - anywhere from federally owned lands to Walmart parking lots).

The morning dragged its way to my calendar and FINALLY arrived! Wishing with all my heart Doug was coming made it a teensy bittersweet. Leaving Softey and Tyler for a month tugged on the heartstrings, too. But this was my adventure and I was soooo ready!