Camping and Retirement Blog - Big Guy Tiny Trailer

Winter 2026 Trip, Out in the Cold

Winter 2026 Trip

Our winter 2026 trip was five weeks camping in Florida and Mississippi, beginning in late January. There were stops at eight different campgrounds, with Three Rivers, Ocala RV, Presnell’s, and Topsail being revisits. Keylime Bay RV in Tampa, St. Andrews State Park, Biloxi Bay, and Askews Landing were all new to us. While all the campgrounds and surrounding areas had nice things to offer, the biggest determinant to our enjoyment was the weather. Unfortunately, there was quite a lot of less than desirable weather on this trip.

Keylime Bay RV Resort

We began our trip at our southernmost stop while it was still January. It was one of our most expensive stops, but it was near family. The resort is very upscale, though the sites are extremely small. Most of the people there were staying for from 1-3 months over the winter.

We arrived to gloriously warm weather in Oldsmar, which is part of the Tampa Bay Area. The winter clothes we were wearing were quickly shed for shorts. But alas, the warm weather was gone the next day and the temperature ranged from chilly to cold.

An area on one side of the campground is beside a Double Branch tributary and there were often egrets in the water. We did a lot of walking that area with our pup in the six days we were there. There was almost no sitting outside because it was too cold. Additionally, we had to bring our awning in most days because it was also quite windy.

Dining in Clearwater

So, our entertainment became mostly participating in the wonderful culinary options nearby. Columbia Restaurant is a favorite of ours and we have eaten in several of its locations, but never Clearwater. This visit to Clearwater was our best experience ever!

After lunch, we drove to the nearby city of Dunedin. It’s a pretty small town on the water with lots of nice shops and restaurants. However, we were not interested in food at all.

We met our family members for a delicious lunch at Bahama Breeze on one of our days. Alas, I didn’t get a photo. On another day, we visited the a nearby park and did a short hike. There were a couple of dog parks and our pup got to play with some other dogs. We had some good times, it was just quite cold.

Ocala—Coldest Stop Winter Trip 2026

Our next stop was Ocala RV Resort (newly renamed Southern Hammock) for a week. We have been there before and really liked it. Our arrival was in sunshine and our site had a nice long concrete pad. Unfortunately, very cold weather was coming with temperatures in the 20s for two nights in a row. So, we filled our fresh water tank and disconnected from the city water at the campground. For a couple of days, it was bitter cold. For a few others, it was really too chilly to be pleasant to be outside.

Winter trip 2026 at Ocala RV Resort — Ocala RV Resort

While at this campground, I did a lot of cooking! Our best meal out while in the Ocala area was at Mojo’s. They have three locations, but there’s one that allows dogs in a screened area. We had a delicious lunch there, but it was very cold to be eating outside. The food and service were excellent though. Another nice meal was at Blue Highway Pizzeria. After lunch, we checked out the Micanopy Historical Society Museum. It was pretty small, but rather interesting. The area was evidently a hub of activity in earlier days

The campground is nice, but most of our activity there was spent walking our pup and taking her to the dog park. We did get our bikes off the truck and rode them a couple of times. There are a lot of areas to ride in the park.

Gypsy Gold Horse Farm

Finally, we had a beautiful sunny day and took that opportunity to visit Gypsy Gold Horse Farm.It was the highlight of our time in Ocala! The horses are Gypsy Vanner horses, an exotic breed of horses that were first bred by British travelers. We learned a lot about the history of the breed, which was fascinating. The horses were beautiful and so friendly. We were able to pet them and give them carrots.

The horses were the main attraction, but the donkeys that had free roam of the place were hilarious!

Our pup went with us to the horse farm, but stayed in the shade in our truck while we took the tour. They did not mind her meeting the horses, so we gave her the opportunity to see them up close and personal. She absolutely loves horses, but they scare her a little bit.

Port St. Joe

The next stop on our winter trip 2026 was Port St. Joe. Though we had traveled several hours north, the weather was much better. We were there for a week starting in early February and every day was pleasant, though there was quite a bit of wind most days.

The campground is on St. Joseph Bay and the other side of the bay is Cape San Blas and St Joseph Peninsula State Park. It is a beautiful area.

There is an open area near the campground where people brought their dogs every day at 4:00 pm. It was a good opportunity to for dogs and humans to interact. Many of the campers come to Presnell’s every year and stay for multiple months, so they are a very friendly group .

We visited St. Joseph Peninsula State Park twice and hiked both of the park trails. The weather was blissful and the view for a portion of the trails was spectacular.

Winter 2026 trip at St. Joseph Peninsula State Park — Hiking a trail at St Joseph Peninsula State Park

Dining at Port St. Joe

We had several outstanding meals while in the Port St. Joe area, but the best was right next door to the campground at Hunt’s. It was so good that we visited there twice. We had raw oysters and charbroiled—both were Apalachicola oysters, which have only recently become available after a five-year hiatus. They were very special. The seafood platter was outstanding as well and huge. We shared it and still had a bunch of seafood.

Winter Trip 2026 Hunt’s seafood platter at Port St. Joe — Hunt’s seafood platter

A couple that we know from our camping group was staying at the nearby state park. We met them at Cape Palms Park, which allows dogs and is on the gulf. They shared their shade with us and we had lunch on the beach with them. Port St. Joe was the best stop on our winter trip 2026!

Topsail Preserve State Park

We have been to Topsail many times and always love it. I was late booking this trip and really wanted to go to Topsail, but there wasn’t great availability. So to get us a few days in there, I booked us in three different sites. It wasn’t ideal, but it enabled us to spend a few days there. The beach is very private there and always beautiful.

The weather was mostly warm while we were there, so we were able to ride our bikes quite a bit.

Winter Trip 2026 to Topsail State Park — One of our three sites

Another favorite in the Destin area is Shunk Gully. We always try to eat there when we are in the area. We tried their Keylime pie on this visit and it was delicious.

Our pup discovered a long path that goes around the campground. I loved it because I could let her loose. She could go sniffing at her own pace and I could walk without being pulled along. A kind of magical thing happened on one of our walks. A fairly big buck deer with prominent horns was only about 30 feet from us. He just stood there and stared at us and even walked towards us a few steps. Our pup just stared and stayed with me while I freaked out just a little bit. Then the deer turned around and walked away.

First Watch is near the campground and we had a wonderful breakfast there. By the time we got their special bacon and added the lemon topping on the pancakes, it was pretty pricey. But it was memorable and delicious!

Winter 2026 Trip at First Watch — Expensive breakfast at First Watch

Panama City

I used to go to Panama City often when my children were young, but it is a big teen hang out and the traffic was really terrible along the beach, so I have steered away from it. However, Saint Andrews State Park is located in a place where you can pretty much avoid all that crazy traffic. This was the first time for us to camp there, but it will not be the last.

The beach has the beautiful white sand with clear, emerald water of the gulf, but with the added benefit of smaller crowds.

The area where the jetty is located is especially gorgeous. The area behind the jetty has very calm water, which is great for snorkeling or swimming. We had gorgeous weather on our first couple of days there and were able to bike all over the park and to the beach and the jetty area. There are dedicated bike trails.

Our best meal was at Uncle Ernie’s, a place recommended to me by someone in the campground. I had the snapper and my husband had the steak; both were uncommonly good. Next time we’re in the area , we will be sure to come back.

Dolphin Tour

The most fun we had was on a Dolphin Sunset cruise. It had been raining all afternoon and I was actually hoping they would cancel the cruise because it was cold and wet. It was touch and go for a while, but they finally decided it was a go and the weather cleared. We had the best time with the captain, crew, and other people on the boat! We saw 20 or 30 dolphins while we were out there.

On the day we planned to leave Panama City, they were predicting winds with gusts up to 40 and 50 mph. That seemed too much for hauling a trailer. We were luckily able to get another spot in the campground. So, we stayed one more day. It was sunny and we had a gorgeous view of the bay, therefore, it was very pleasant inside. But, it was so windy outside you could barely walk.

Biloxi, Best Weather Winter 2026 Trip

We had reservations at Biloxi Bay RV Resort for four nights. It is a very nice RV park and rather expensive. We had already lost a night because of the wind and not being willing to travel, so it was now down to just three nights. However, the cancellation policy meant that we would lose what we paid for those three. I seriously debated not going because we were tired of being cooped up in our camper while it was cold and windy outside. Ultimately, we traveled on and I am so glad that we did.

Winter 2026 trip to Biloxi lighthouse — Lighthouse in Biloxi

Biloxi Historic Area

The weather was excellent during our entire time in Biloxi. Our best day included a visit to the historic area. We saw the lighthouse and the last home of Jefferson Davis, the Confederate President. I love visiting old houses and appreciated learning some history of which I was previously unaware.

Winter trip 2026 Jefferson Davis House in Biloxi — Jefferson Davis Home

We ended our day in the city at Half Shell Oyster House. Everything about it was perfect!

The campground was very nice with a clubhouse, pool, hot tub, and multiple dog parks. Also, our neighbor had a dog that our pup really enjoyed.

We had a spot with a view of Biloxi Bay. I would like to go back to this park.

We discovered a couple of issues when we got to this park, a problem with our fresh water not filling easily and a broken lock on a compartment. Both have now been resolved.

Winter 2026 Trip difficulty — Some traveling difficulty

Vicksburg, Last Stop of Winter 2026 Trip

This was a revisit to Vicksburg to see a bit of the city and it was a nice stop for us. We were blessed with more beautiful weather and a comfortable campground.

The historic area of Biloxi has a lot to see and do. The murals at the riverside were of particular interest to me. There are over 30 of them, some more than 60 feet wide. Because we saw Jefferson Davis’s last home in Biloxi, I was really interested in the mural below. It depicts Davis and his wife at their home when the received the news that he had been elected president of the Confederacy. His wife later wrote, “He looked so grieved that I feared some evil had befallen our family.” I found that reaction to be fascinating. I believe he knew that many lives would be lost.

Vicksburg was also the first place where Coca Cola was ever bottled in 1894. Prior to that, it was only available in soda fountains. We toured the museum and had a yummy coke float.

Winter 2026 Trip in Conclusion

This trip was not without its challenges, but we created some great memories. The weather that forced us for days to stay in our camper has convinced me that it is not a good idea to camp so early in the year. Nonetheless, it included some good times! Check out our States Visited page for our other trips.

Happy Camping Everyone!

Year Nine of Retirement

Year nine of retirement in 2025 was another good one, but it has become clearly evident that we are getting older. My husband had a second knee replacement and I had my first Mohs procedure for skin cancer. Despite some challenges, we still managed to have some really good times.

Time at Home

We did not do our typical winter trip to a warmer climate. Our trip last year included some pretty cold weather, so we decided to enjoy our home instead. We also had a big summer cruise planned, so time at home seemed a good idea.

January brought a nice accumulation of snow. It was lovely, but it did not last long.

Snow for year nine of Retirement — Snow came to the South

In February, we visited the Birmingham Civil Rights Museum in Birmingham. The museum highlights the city’s past and the part that it played in the Civil Rights Movement. I was familiar with a lot of the information in the museum because I grew up in the city, but I did learn a few things. It is definitely worth visiting.

There are three covered bridges in nearby Blount County and we visited them all on one warm and sunny April day. Lunch at Charlie Bs topped off the excursion.

Blount county covered bridge at year nine of retirement — Blount County Covered Bridge

Another activity when we are at home is ballroom dancing with our Vikings Dance Club. In October, our club’s dance theme was Happy Days. While at home, we managed to also attend two or three other dances. It is always fun hanging out with this group.

The most important time we spend is with family. All three of our children were together at our house in July. Sadly, one son-in-law couldn’t make it. It was wonderful seeing them all together. We saw grandchildren and great grandchildren individually, but not at the same time.

A Knee Replacement

I have always said that I did not want to spend retirement sitting on the porch, but it can be wonderful in short stretches if the weather is nice. However, we spent a lot of time on the porch and at home this year.

Year nine sitting on the porch — Sitting on the porch

My husband’s knee became very painful and, consequently, his second knee replacement was done in early June. It went well overall, but as anyone who has had it done will tell you, it was no walk in the park. The entire summer was spent rehabbing it and going to physical therapy. We also had to cancel our cruise. I am very happy to say that overall he had a great outcome and now is in much less pain and is able to be much more mobile.

Road Trip to Mississippi

A short trip to Mississippi occurred in February too, and because it was very cold, we did not take our camper. We stayed at a hotel in Jackson for a couple of nights with our pup.

The State Capitol

State Capitol buildings are an interest of ours and we have visited many of them. So, we took a tour and learned a lot about the building and how the state conducts its business. Above all, it is a gorgeous building inside and out.

Year nine at Mississippi State Capital — Mississippi State Capital

Vicksburg National Military Park

We took a day trip to nearby Vicksburg to check out the military park. It was a beautiful, sunny day, but bitterly cold. I learned so much about that portion of the Civil War.

Year nine of retirement at the Vicksburg military Memorial — Walking one of the battlefields

Big Trip of Year Nine of Retirement

Right before my husband’s knee surgery, we flew to California for a few days. The trip included three cities to visit two presidential libraries and one National Park. Because we were there in late May and early June, the weather was incredible for the entire eight days. See my post, California and Stops in Four Citiesfor additional details and photos.

The Reagan Library in Simi Valley

We flew into Burbank, rented a car, and drove to Simi Valley for our first stop. Two nights there allowed us to check out the area and to visit the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library. Semi Valley is beautiful and the library is on an incredible piece of property, high on a hill overlooking a picturesque valley.

The Reagan Library Sits on a Beautiful Hill

Ronald Reagan led an extraordinary life and I learned a lot about him. The library was impressive, but the tour of an actual Air Force One was the most memorable part.

Year none of retirement at the Reagan library in Simi Valley, California — Boarding Air Force One

The Nixon Library in Yorba Linda

Yorba Linda was another really nice city and the Nixon library was very interesting and unique. The centerpiece is a beautiful rose garden with an elegant fountain. The property is a venue for weddings and such. There was a wedding taking place while we were there.

The library is on the actual property that the Nixons lived when Richard was a boy. The house is one that his father built. Additionally, Richard and Pat Nixon are buried on the property.

Joshua Tree National Park

The third stop on our trip was Twentynine Palms, California. An entrance to the Joshua National Park is nearby. The area is in the Mojave desert and the air was super dry.

The desert has its own brand of desolate beauty. The distinctive-looking Joshua trees were interspersed throughout the park. There is a high part in the park where you can see for miles and miles and right below lies the San Andreas’s fault. It was incredibly beautiful!

Though it was a desert, there were many interesting plants there and rock formations.

The area is classified as dark sky site, meaning they’re very few lights. We went back into the park to watch the sunset and to see what we could see in the dark sky. It was fun until a very large coyote walked up, just a few feet from where we were. We hightailed it back into the truck.

Retirement Year Nine Camping

Despite the knee issues, we managed to do a good bit of camping, most of it with our Southeastern camping group. Our first trip in March identified that my husband had a serious problem with his knee as he was very challenged to do even a small amount of walking.

By September, he was doing much better and we were ready to try camping again. He had to really limit his walking, but he did a great job.

We also did a solo trip in September to Gulf State Park. I think the walking he did on these camping trips helped to get his legs stronger and to make his knee more mobile.

Year nine of retirement at Gulf State Park in Alabama — Gulf State Park in September

While at Gulf State Park, we visited Spanish Fort, which is in the Mobile area. We have lived in Alabama all our lives, but neither of us had ever been there. It was a good day trip.

We were back with our group in November at Skidaway Island. We did more hiking and went on a birding walk with some friends, which was very interesting. My husband was able to do much more walking.

Our last camping trip of the year was in December at Cypress Glen with our Camping group. It was another fun trip and for the first time in the wild, we saw an armadillo. He didn’t seem to mind me taking his picture.

Year Nine of Retirement in Conclusion

So, retirement year nine was a mixture of challenges with the knee and just getting older in general for both of us. But, it was a great year because we didn’t have any major issues and had a lot of opportunities to see our family and friends. We also had some fun traveling! Looking forward to year ten!

Gulf State Park for a Week

Gulf State Park

We have camped at Gulf State Park several times. It is a beautiful park with miles of bike trails and beach access. For this trip, we were there for a week in late September and weather was overall very nice.

Gulf State Park Campground

Sadly, shade is not plentiful at the campground. I think that previous storms took out many trees. We were there last year in a site with virtually no shade and it was pretty miserable. So, we looked for good sites to book the next year.

Site number 72 was quite shady and we were fortunate to have it for this trip. It made all the difference in a comfortable stay versus glaring heat.

The only downside was that the bathhouse near our site was closed. They are having issues with all of them and some major work is planned for the future.

Gulf State Park Activities

Usually, we bring our bikes and spend a good bit of time on the trails in the park. However, this year my husband was recovering from total knee replacement and was not yet up to the bike rides. However, he did go on some short walks with our pup.

There is an interesting live oak tree in the park that continues to live despite laying on the ground. It is enormous.

Gulf State Park Live Oak Tree — Giant Live Oak on the ground

Our daily walk with our pup was by sites along the lake. The views were nice, but I missed riding our bikes.

We played Mexican Train on one of our days and it was a nice way to spend an afternoon.

Mexican Train at Gulf State Park — Mexican Train

Gulf State Dog Park

There is a dog pond at Lake Shelby within the Gulf State dog park. It was a warm day and our girl ran into the water several times, but she basically just ran around in the water rather than swimming. She wasn’t afraid though. I think it was fun for her.

Fort Morgan for a Day

We took a thirty minute drive west to Fort Morgan. The fort was completed in 1833 and it cost just over a million dollars, making it one of the most expensive of its kind. It saw a good bit of action during the Civil War and the Battle of Mobile Bay.

The fort is quite large, though basically only the stones and bricks remain. The grounds were a lovely and lush green that were picturesque against the blue sky.

The arched entrance was kind of nice.

This entrance had what appeared to be railroad tracks. I’m not sure what was going to there.

The beach at Fort Morgan allows dogs We debated letting our pup get into the water, but by that time, we were hungry.

Gulf State Park Pool

The pool was so nice that we spent a couple of days there. The photo below was taken late in the day and we were the only ones there at that time. It isn’t but 4 1/2 feet deep, but is quite large.

Pool at Gulf State Park — Love this pool!

There are also areas that offer plenty of shade, which is important to us.

Our days at the pool were relaxing. We also used the pool for my husband to do some stretching of his knee replacement.

Gulf Shores Beach

There are areas of beach that are state park property, but we drove to a beach near The Hangout because it is so close to the beach and the walking in sand is minimal. It was a relaxing afternoon watching the waves. We went into the water, but the waves were pretty high and my husband was a little unsteady. The biggest thing we were trying to avoid was a fall since he was only three months post op.

He took his tall camping chair because getting up is easier in it.

We were rewarded for being there by a gorgeous sunset. We stayed until it was beginning to get dark.

Meals on the Gulf

Meals on the gulf are something that we always enjoy about our camping trips to Gulf State Park. They did not disappoint. We had a couple of outstanding meals while there.

Tacky Jacks Fort Morgan

Our favorite meal was at Tacky Jacks at Fort Morgan. There is another location we tried last year, but this one was by far the best. It is next to a marina and I suspect that the food is fresher as a result. Whatever the reason, it was delicious.

I discovered Bushwhackers last year, a favorite drink of the region. The one at Tacky Jacks was next level because it had a peanut butter whiskey topper. Oh my!

Bushwhacker with peanut butter whiskey topper

The view of the marina during lunch made the experience very special.

We try to find restaurants that allow dogs outside. This one was dog friendly.

OSO at Bear Point Harbor

OSO is a very out of the way place that we learned about from some people at the pool. The seafood was very fresh there and they also served a Bushwhacker with a peanut butter whiskey topper if you requested it. We shared a bowl of gumbo there as well and it was awesome.

The view of the harbor from the deck at OSO was also lovely and we were able to bring our pup. Coincidentally, we ran into a friend we haven’t seen in many years there. It was nice to catch up with her.

In Conclusion

So, our week at Gulf State Park was a nice, relaxing getaway. While we really missed having our bikes, it was still a very enjoyable week. If you would like to read about other places we have visited, check out our page, States Visited, a Campsite Resource.

Happy camping everyone!

California and Stops in Four Cities

California

California is a very large state with so many points of interest. We have previously visited a few times, but there was so much we still wanted to see.

Ultimately, we focused on visiting the Reagan and Nixon Presidential Libraries and Joshua Tree National Park, all of which were in fairly close proximity. Therefore, we obtained a rental car from Alamo and I booked hotel rooms in four cities: Simi Valley, Yorba Linda, Twentynine Palms, and Palm Springs. Obviously, this was not our typical camping trip!

Things We Considered

Our Pup

Because we were flying to California, we had to find a place that we were comfortable leaving our pup. She had a small inflamed cyst on her leg and so we ultimately chose to board her at her vet where they could administer her daily medication for it. Our vet took very good care of her.

A Rental Car

It has been several years since we have used a rental car and are now older. However, we wanted to be sure there was no issue with our age. Also, to maximize our time in the area, we wanted to pick up at one airport and drop off at another. We confirmed Alamo met our needs and the entire process went without a hitch. So we flew into Burbank and flew out of Palm Springs. One thing regarding all rental cars at Burbank Airport, it is quite a hike to get to them.

Simi Valley

Our first stop was Simi Valley, a medium-sized city about twenty-five miles from the Burbank Airport. The tech industry really took off in the city and it still is a major part of its industry today. It was very clean and the area we were in was a bit upscale. We stayed at the Holiday Inn Express, just a few miles from the Reagan Library.

The Reagan Library

The Reagan Library is the major attraction in Simi Valley. We have visited many presidential libraries and this was the most memorable. One outstanding aspect of it is the amazing view. It sits on a hill overlooking a breathtakingly beautiful valley. The site itself is tastefully manicured.

Reagan Library in California — Reagan Library View

Nancy’s rose garden artfully captures that gorgeous view and features a statue of her sitting on a bench.

A common feature of presidential libraries is a replica of what the Oval Office looked like during its administration. This one was attractive with a replica of the Resolute desk that had to be raised to accommodate Reagan’s long legs.

Relations with the Soviet Union were strained during the Reagan presidency and he had four summits with Mikhail Gorbachev. A significant exhibit was dedicated to those meetings. Reagan’s efforts led to an arms control agreement and, ultimately, a thawing of the Cold War.

Air Force One is the major feature at the library. This particular plane served Presidents Nixon, Ford, Carter, Reagan, George H. W. Bush, Clinton, and George W. Bush. It was such a cool thing to be able to go inside.

The plane has private quarters for the president and First Lady, conference and dining areas, and areas assigned to senior staff and the press. Reagan’s favored jellybeans were also on display. It was cool to see, but everything was very dated.

Air Force One in California — Interior of the Plane

The command center was surely state-of-the-art during the time the plane was commissioned, but it looks antiquated by today’s standards.

Reagan Library In Conclusion

I’m so happy we could be there on such a beautiful day. The library was interesting and well worth the visit. Most importantly, it was wonderful to be able to step into Air Force One and take in all its history. Reagan’s presidency was in my adulthood, so I was familiar with it. However, I learned some things about his personal history. He came from humble beginnings and was a very hard worker. Reagan developed his ability to connect with people as a sportscaster and his leadership through his work in the Screen Actors Guild. I was happy to learn that he was a defender of equality and was very much against racial intolerance.

Strathearn Historical Park

There were a couple of free hours in the afternoon, so we visited nearby Strathearn Historic Park. It has buildings and memorabilia from Simi Valley’s early history. Admission is free and it was a pleasant way to spend the rest of the afternoon.

Yorba Linda

Our second stop, Yorba Linda, is a suburban city that is approximately 35 miles from Los Angeles. It was also my favorite overall stop on this trip. The city was friendly and charming. Our favorite hotel on the trip was its Ayers Suites and our best meals were also there. The restaurants were Supatras Thai Bistro and Blue Agave; both were excellent. Additionally, we had the best ice cream at Rich Farm.

The Nixon Library

The Nixon Library is the main draw to Yorba Linda. It serves also as a venue for concerts and weddings. We were there on a Saturday morning and a wedding was taking place.

Yorba Linda California — The Nixon Library

Rare for a presidential library, President Nixon and his wife, Pat, are buried on the premises. It is in a beautiful setting with the Rose Garden and and outdoor amphitheater. Not too shabby for a final resting place!

Nixon’s birthplace was on the property in the house below. His father actually constructed the house from a kit.

Nixon birthplace In California — Kit house built by Nixon’s rather

The living room in the house includes a piano. Nixon played several instruments including piano, violin, clarinet, saxophone, and accordion.

The following is a listing of the things Nixon accomplished on the domestic front. Some of these were surprising to me, in a good way. He was a complex man.

In a break with tradition, Nixon used the Wilson desk, typically used by the Vice President. Nixon actually spent eight years as Eisenhower’s V.P. There was a reproduction of how the Oval Office was during the Nixon administration.

Lastly, the scandal that occurred at the beginning of his second term was an exhibit. I liked that it was not something that was ignored.

Twentynine Palms, California

Twentynine Palms was our third stop on our California trip. It is known as the Gateway to Joshua Tree National Park because it is close to the north entrance and headquarters. The Marine Corp Air Ground Center is also a major contributor to the town’s economy. The base is the largest by size in the U.S. at 1,102 square miles. Recent troops that were sent to California were deployed from there.

The city is in the Mojave Desert and is high desert at just under 2,000 feet. During June, the humidity is around 22%. Our time there really caused issues with my sinuses and a sore throat because the environment is quite harsh.

The city has many murals, including the one below dedicated to the Desert Storm Homecoming.

Joshua Tree

Our favorite restaurant, Joshua Tree Saloon, was actually in nearby Joshua Tree, which is another small city near the National Park. The food was very good and the decor was quite eclectic.

Joshua Tree National Park

The National Park was very lovely in a desolate way. We went very early in the morning because the afternoons get so hot. It was a pleasant high 70s while we were there, but the afternoons rose to the low 90s during our visit.

The famous Joshua Trees are in the photo below. The Mormons named them that because they reminded them of Joshua raising his hands in prayer.

The beautiful desert has a variety of plants.

There were many rock formations, but this shot by my husband is my favorite.

Keys View is at the high point in the park at an elevation of over 5,000 feet. The famous San Andreas Fault lies along the bottom of the cliff. The view was stunning!

We saw lots of lizards and a couple of coyotes. There were also many kinds of birds.

We went back to the park at sunset. The area is known for especially dark skies because of its remoteness. While stargazing, we had a scare when a rather large coyote was walking just across the street from where we were parked. We hightailed it to the car and pretty much stayed there!

Palm Springs

Stop number four was just to get us near the airport to fly home. It was not our first time there, but my older eyes really appreciated the beauty of the surrounding mountains. They are so close!

We had lunch downtown and then just walked a little in the area. I love how the mountains are so upfront and personal! I also found how they trim the Palm Trees to be interesting.

Palm Springs, California — The city has very close mountains

Our last hotel was the Hampton Inn. It was very nice, reasonably priced and close to the airport. Just look at that view!

Hampton Inn in California — View from our hotel

California, In Conclusion

We try to take one big trip a year and this was it for us. We returned home to a total knee replacement for my husband, so this was a last bit of fun for awhile. I’m so glad we got to have this time in California! Check out our big trip last year on a Viking longboat, First Viking Cruise.

Truma Combi Cleaning

So, we finally tackled the task of Truma Combi cleaning in our beloved Lance 2075. The process descales the water heater (removes hard water deposits) and should be done periodically. The Truma manual recommends cleaning every six months.

Because this was our first time to do this, we were quite late to the task. I was a little intimidated by it, but it was surprisingly easy. Additionally, we combined the Truma Combi cleaning with our annual Fresh Water Sanitation process.

Reasons for Truma Combi Cleaning

Unquestionably, the cleaning and decalcification process brings many benefits. It:

Reduces sediment buildup which can limit heat transfer and make the heater work harder.
Improves heater efficiency and also lifespan.
Reduces the likelihood of leaks related to sediment corrosion on the inside of the tank.
Promotes a more consistent water temperature.
Helps prevent clogged pipes and faucets.

Needed Items

White Distilled Vinegar
Clean Gallon Jug
Funnel
Measuring Cup

Vinegar, citric acid (1 Tablespoon per liter of water), or decalcification tablets can be used. Because we had vinegar on hand, that was what we used. So, we were happy we didn’t have to buy anything special for this purpose.

Truma Combi Cleaning Process

Preparation

Firstly, drain all water from the fresh water tank and from the Truma Combi. There is a yellow plastic lever on the bottom left in the Truma compartment that opens and closes the drain. When empty, close the fresh water tank and Truma drains.
Next, using a gallon plastic container, mix a solution of water and vinegar that is 1 part vinegar and 5 parts water. My reference to the mix is in a screenshot below and a link is here.
The ratio worked out to be 2.66 cups of vinegar for each gallon container. Per the Truma Combi manual (see screenshot below), the Combi holds 2.64 gallons. Therefore, we used 3 gallons of the mixture to ensure we had an adequate amount to fill the water heater.

Filling the Tank

3. Pour the mixture into the fresh water tank using a funnel. You will need a total of three gallons of the mixture.

Truma Combi Cleaning — Pouring the mixture into the fresh water tank

4. After that, draw the water into the hot water heater by turning on the water pump and briefly turning on a single faucet for hot water. You will hear the water pump run for a short while and ultimately stop. This means it is filled with the solution.

5. Use the water pump to circulate the solution through all taps including the shower, toilet and also the outside water sprayer. Pump just enough water to begin a flow.

6. Leave the solution in the heater for 4-5 hours.

Rinsing

7. Again, drain the Truma Combi and the fresh water tank and then close the drains.

8. Now, put at least 3 gallons of water into the fresh water tank for rinsing the Truma Combi.

9. Turn on the water pump and draw some fresh water through all faucets and the toilet.

10. Lastly, empty the Truma and the fresh water tanks and then close the drains.

YOU HAVE NOW CLEANED AND DESCALED YOUR TRUMA COMBI!

I did a good bit of research on line and reviewed the Combi manual. The reference below apparently has information from Truma via an email. It was most helpful and contributed to our process.

Reference

In Conclusion

I am so glad we have taken care of this maintenance item. The hardest part was determining just how we would accomplish it. Therefore, it is going to be a routine task going forward.

Happy Camping!

Year Eight of Retirement, Good Times

Year Eight

Year eight of retirement was wonderful for us. As I look back on all the great memories, I realize just how nice it was. We were fortunate to be able to be relatively active, though both of us are really beginning to feel the years. But, it makes the memories that much sweeter knowing that kind of activity last forever.

I am happy that we, our children, and grandchildren are well overall. Our son had major back surgery and one of our daughters had a large skin cancer removed, but both got through them and are doing well.

Our sweet Sophie was there for us in all our camping trips and she also makes our time at home more fun. It is hard to believe she is already four.

Year eight with our goldendoodle — Our sweet girl

Once again, travel was the major component of our time. However, this year was different in that we had many shorter camping trips and none that was excessively long. Another difference was that we took our first ever Viking cruise. Details of that trip are in my post, First Viking Cruise.

Winter Trip

We try to minimize our exposure to cold weather in the winter by heading south. In the past, we have been gone as long as a couple of months, but this year we were only gone for three and a half weeks and only along the Florida panhandle. It is difficult to book further south in Florida due to changes in the booking window for non-residents. Therefore, the weather was not always warm for our more northern options.

Topsail Hill State Park

We have stayed at Topsail at least three times in the past because it is one of our favorite parks. For year eight, our stay for this visit was two weeks. There is access to a beautiful, private beach and many area to ride our bikes. I feel we get more exercise when camping.

Year eight of retirement at Topsail Hill — The Beach at Topsail Hill State Park

Our site was nice and comfortable. It did rain hard a couple of days we were there, which make it more difficult for camping. Our Lance does, however, provide all the basic comforts and we are still enjoying it immensely.

Year eight of retirement in our Lance — Still loving our Lance

The park’s Cambell Lake is a nice place to hike or bike to in the park. It is also quiet and beautiful. Kayaks are available for rent, but we did not partake.

Port Saint Joe

Presnell’s in Port Saint Joe was another repeat for us. I think it was our third time there. We love the area which has lots of nice restaurants, and things to see.

The view over the bay was magnificent. We booked really early and were able to snag a waterfront site. There were incredible views, but lots of wind. Consequently, we didn’t use our awnings the entire time we were there.

Birds were always near our site on the bay every morning. They were fun to watch, but Sophie was more interested in the nearby smells.

One day while at Port Saint Joe, we drove into Apalachicola for the Mardi Gras Barcus parade. It was fun, but Sophie managed to get too many treats and was sick on the way home.

Year Eight Camping With Friends

Hunting Island

Hunting Island in early March was another repeat for us with our Southeastern Tags, Tabs, and Friends group. It is always great fun camping with these guys. While there, we biked to the Boneyard Beach.

We also took a nice long walk on the beach with the group.

Fires are always a big part of camping with this group. Jeff, our leader is the firemaster and always does a great job.

Beaufort South Carolina

While at Hunting Island, we spent a day in the cute town of Beaufort. We had a nice lunch and visited the Reconstruction Era National Historic Park. It is a relatively new park, founded in 2017.

Year eight in Beaufort SC — Reconstruction Era National Historic Park

The town has a really long history because it was founded in 1711. We visited the History Museum while there and it was pretty interesting.

Clear Creek Recreation Area

In late March, we discovered a fabulous campground that is near our home. It is Clear Creek Recreation Area on Smith Lake.

I was able to hike with our friends, which I really enjoy. I struggle a bit to keep up with them, but I like it.

Nearby Tallulah Brewery with our group was fun as well. The food wasn’t bad and the beer was excellent!

Jasper Alabama

Nearby Jasper was cute and there were painted donkeys all over town. It was a public art project. I spotted about six of them. There are now 70 donkeys throughout Walker County.

We checked out the grounds of the historic Bankhead home. He was a U. S. Congressman from 1917 to 1940. For the last four years, he was the 47th Speaker of the House. His daughter, Tallulah, was a famous actress. I remember hearing her name as a child. I would have loved to do a tour of the house, but unfortunately it was not open that day and we were leaving the next day.

Huntington Beach State Park

This was our first visit to Huntington Beach and it did not disappoint. The campground is very nice and the road into the park has water on both sides with an abundance of alligators and sea birds. We enjoyed spending time with our camping friends which included hikes, campfires, and eating out.

Atalaya Castle is also in the park and our group took a tour. It was the winter home of industrialist, Archer Huntington and his sculptor wife, Anna. The house is not furnished and is just basically a shell, but their story and what remains is interesting.

Year eight visiting Atalaya Castle — Atalaya Castle

Brookgreen Gardens is just down the road from the campground. It was filled with large outdoor sculptures and beautiful plants and flowers. I really loved it. Many of the sculptures were the work of Anna Huntington.

Year eight visiting Brookgreen Gardens — Brookgreen Gardens

Grayson Highlands State Park

Grayson Highlands, in Virginia, was quite a drive for us for just a few days but it was so worth it. We were there in June and I was afraid it might be hot, but it was so NOT. The elevation is between 3500 and 5000, so heat was not a problem at all.

While hiking the Rhododendron trail, we encountered several wild horses. It was very cool to see them like that.

We also visited the lovely nearby town of Abington to see a play, “Grandma Gatewood Takes a Walk”. The play was great and we later had a delicious meal at the historic Martha Hotel, which was next door.

Lastly, we biked the famous Virginia Creeper. We rode about thirteen miles on the Creeper and it was a blast. It was mostly downhill, so we really didn’t need much assistance from our e-bikes. There were many bridges, which made me nervous, but I got through them.

Year eight and Riding the Virginia Creeper — Riding the Virginia Creeper

Crooked River and Cumberland Island

We were booked last year for Crooked River State Park and Cumberland Island, but canceled because of bad weather. I’m so glad we had an opportunity to visit in year eight. The State Park was very nice, but Cumberland Island was incredible. It has an interesting history and was once a very popular place for some very wealthy to live.

Plum Orchard, pictured below, was available for a tour. The 22,000 square foot mansion was built in 1898 for a nephew of Andrew Carnegie. Today, it along with most of the island, is owned and maintained by the National Park Service.

Year Eight at Plum Orchard — Plum Orchard on Cumberland Island

The church below was where John F. Kennedy, Jr. was married. They wanted a private wedding and this was the only church on the island. It has no electricity and was very hot on that day. After the ceremony, they had a lavish reception at a mansion on the island.

First African Church where JFK Jr married

Dungeness, pictured below, was the most grand house on the island. It belonged to Andrew Carnegie’s sister-in-law, Lucy. She was a powerful woman who, for awhile, owned most of the island. It caught fire in the 1950s and only the stone structure remains. We took the Lands and Legacies tour and learned about the history of the island and those who have lived on it. We also got to see almost all of the island.

Year eight at Dungeness Ruin — Dungeness Ruin

Silver Springs State Park

Our last group camping trip was in November at Silver Springs State Park. It was our third visit there and we always have a great time. The Santos Bike Trail is a favorite thing to do while there.

Another highlight of the trip was that we encountered wild monkeys while on a hike in the park.

Fall Beach Trip

We took one solo camping trip to Gulf State Park in year eight. It was in September because I wanted to be able to get into the water at the beach. So we booked it in a warmer time than is typical for us. The beach and the water were glorious, but hanging out at the campground was way too hot because we had no shade.

There is a very nice pool at the park, so we got to enjoy it, which helped with the heat.

Year eight at Gulf State Park — Gulf State Park Pool

Year Eight, Our Dance Group

Ballroom dancing was not as frequent of an activity for us this past year, but we did attend our club’s leadout. It was nice to dress up and spend time with our Viking friends.

In Conclusion

Though we are certainly slowing down, we had a very full and active year eight of our retirement. I’m hoping we can keep it going next year!

First Viking Cruise

Our first Viking cruise was on the Rhine River. We have previously taken ocean cruises, but never with Viking and never a river cruise. My expectations were high because of Viking’s reputation and price point. I am so happy to say that the cruise met my high expectations. Viking puts much care and attention to detail into the cruise. This post is a summary of our experience.

Our cruise began in Amsterdam on August 21 with a two-night extension of the cruise. It gave us an opportunity to recover from jet lag plus a full day in the beautiful city of Amsterdam.

Amsterdam

We landed in Amsterdam and a Viking representative met us and transported us to our hotel. Additionally, there was a representative on site to answer questions and facilitate transfer two days later to the Mani, our Viking ship. Our time in the city is detailed in Amsterdam, City of Bicycles.

Our Cabin

We decided to get the most basic cabin based upon a recommendation from friends who recently took this cruise. Most of the cabins are basically the same size with the window being the big difference. Those with a veranda or balcony come with a pretty substantial increase in price. The window in our basic cabin was small, but we didn’t really spend much time in the room except for sleeping. I think it was a queen size bed, which works for us. The room was laid out very well with room under the bed for our luggage and plenty of places to store our clothing and accessories.

On Board Entertainment

The entertainment was not a big production like some of our previous cruises. However, the entertainment on two nights was wonderful.

On the first night, The Nostalgic Music Trio, performed music from decades ago. They did a fantastic job on songs from Elvis, The Beatles, and others. Passengers filled the floor with dancing and was a fun-filled evening.

Near the end of the cruise, a lady who is a cellist and opera singer performed. She was accompanied by a piano player. I am sad to say I didn’t get their names, but they were professionals performers and I think they were from Strasbourg. The hour or so they performed was probably my favorite hour of the entire cruise. They were phenomenal. Near the end, the opera singer walked around the room and basically sang around the room to us individually. It was almost it was like being on stage during a live opera. My husband loved her performance too.

Other nights, there was an on board musician playing in the background. Also, they had game nights. We generally retired to bed early, so we didn’t participate. Old folks!

Stops Along the Way

Viking includes an excursion at each port and for most they have optional excursions for additional costs. So, we took all of the included excursions and one optional one, The Colmar Pocket. Below our links to each of those excursions.

Windmills of Kinderdijk

Cologne and a Cathedral

Koblenz Germany, An Ancient City

Speyer Germany

Strasbourg, My Favorite

The Colmar Pocket

The Black Forest

Above Deck

The top deck of the ship has a large area for walking plus an area that is shaded with lots of seats. Additionally, there is a small eating area as an alternative to the main dining room. Above deck was a good place to see the surrounding area and get some fresh air and exercise.

First Viking Cruise Food

The food was very good on the cruise. In fact, it was better than what we have experienced in prior cruises. While there isn’t food available where you can basically graze all day, there were three solid meals a day with many options. Choices for appetizers and desserts were always available for lunch and dinner. House wine, beer, coffee, or soft drinks were also included during lunch and dinner.

Some passengers purchased the additional beverage package that has unlimited drinks, including higher end whiskeys, wines and beers. We didn’t elect to take that package and didn’t really miss it. I’m more of a drinker than my husband and we would’ve had to have bought it for both of us. I did buy one individual drink that wasn’t included and it was relatively inexpensive.

My favorite meal was the night they had a focus on German food. The servers were dressed in German attire and they pulled out all the stops on the food. The food was abundant with lots of options and very delicious.

Overall, the food was excellent and the servers wonderful. There was no assigned seating, so we had an opportunity to meet lots of people and make new friends.

German Night on First Viking Cruise — German Night

The Middle Rhine

One day of the cruise was dedicated to traveling the Middle Rhine. It is considered to be one of the most beautiful areas of the Rhine because there are castles and vineyards all along the way. We sat on the upper deck along with a large portion of our fellow passengers. While traveling, we heard details as to which castle we were passing and a little bit of information about them. It was a beautiful sunny day and it was really cool to see all of them. Most of them were high up in elevation and not really close enough to see a lot of detail .

Stolzenfels Castle below is a thirteenth century castle, but a Prussian king rebuilt in the 1800s.

I believe Marksburg Castle was an optional excursion on our trip, but we didn’t participate.

Fourteenth- century Katz castle sustained damage by Napoleon’s army, but they rebuilt it during the Victorian era.

Katz Castle on Viking Rhine River Cruise — Katz Castle

The castle below is a toll castle. The rulers of the Rhine exacted considerable tolls to allow passage through the river.

Pfalzgrafenstein Toll Castle on Viking Rhine River Cruise — Pfalzgrafenstein Toll Castle

The castle below is next to a vineyard. The only thing we saw more than castles on the Middle Rhine was vineyards.

Gutenfels Castle on first Viking cruise — Gutenfels Castle

The Middle Rhine is wine country. The vineyards are planted on slopes that have an incline from 55-70%.

Locks on First Viking Cruise

Our first Viking cruise included many locks, but we went through most of them during the middle of the night. It was an interesting process and we had ample opportunity to watch it on one of the last nights onboard. Passengers filled the upper deck to watch the transport through the lock.

Transport to Cities

Viking motor coaches transported us from the ship to most of the cities and excursions. They were nice well-maintained. We often had a local guide describing the area and providing interesting details.

We crossed many rivers during the cruise. The Lahn River is in the photo below, but most often we were crossing the Rhine.

Disembarking at Basel

Our cruise ended at Basel, Switzerland. We did not book additional days at the end of the cruise in Basel. That is a regret because we learned from other passengers that the extension at Basel is really worthwhile.

Conclusion on First Viking Cruise

Our first Viking cruise was wonderful. However, I wish we had traveled with them earlier as we are currently experiencing some mobility issues. However, we liked it so much that we have booked a trip for next year.

The Black Forest

The Black Forest was our last excursion on our Viking Rhine River cruise. When I first looked at our stops for the trip, I thought this might be one of the best. However, it was actually my least favorite stop. We had an earlier excursion and were perhaps tired. Also, it involved a somewhat long bus ride. Lastly, my phone battery was dying, so not many photos.

Breitnau Cuckoo Clock Village

Our destination was Breitnau, Germany’s Cuckoo Clock Village. We took a long scenic route in getting there with some information along the way about the area. It was lovely, but it seemed to go on forever.

The World’s Second Largest Cuckoo Clock is there. It places music and has figures representing dancers go across the second level. It was quite a novelty to see.

Cuckoo Clock in Black Forest — World’s Second Largest Cuckoo Clock

We had time allotted for either a glass blowing or cuckoo clock making demonstration. Several years ago, we saw glass being blown in Venice. So, we decided to go to the clock making demonstration. Also, the German Black Forest is famous for cuckoo clocks. They have been making them for hundreds of years.

Cuckoo Clock Shop

If you have an interest in cuckoo clocks, this would be a very cool place to visit. The demo was interesting. We enjoyed looking at all the clocks, but it was not something we were really excited about.

The figure below was huge and colorful. I looked up “Jagerstube” and learned it means hunting parlor.

There were lots of cuckoo clocks there. I thought the steins in the photo below were also interesting.

Black Forest Cake

Lastly, there is a restaurant on the lower level of the building and it sponsored a demonstration on how the Black Forest Cake is made. We certainly had to try a piece of it! I’m thinking the cake doesn’t get more authentic than while you’re actually in the Black Forest.

Freiburg Germany

We returned to our Viking ship via a shorter route through the beautiful city of Freiburg. It is considered the capital of the Black Forest. Freiburg is the warmest city in Germany and is in southern Germany next to both Switzerland and France. The city has a high number of students, which represent almost ten percent of the population.

I did a little research and learned that Freiburg is a very green city. There was a major shift in the later 1900s to walking, cycling, and the use of mass transportation. Freiburg is a very focused leader in sustainable development.

Scenes from the Bus

The citizens are quite outdoorsy and spend a good bit of time in the summer enjoying the Dreisam River.

Dreisam River in the Black Forest — Dreisam River

We only saw the city from the windows of the bus, but I would have loved to see it on a walking tour.

Frieberg shopping area beside the river — Shopping area and piano store

Another view of the colorful city from the bus

In Conclusion

The Black Forest brings thoughts of heavy forests, cuckoo clocks, Black Forest cake, and fairy tales. It’s an enchanting place.

While not my favorite stop on our cruise, I am glad we were able to experience it first hand. It is certainly a beautiful area! I have strong German roots on my father’s side, but I don’t know from what area they came. As we have traveled through Germany, I often wondered if my ancestors lived there.

Our previous excursion was The Colmar Pocket. Check it out for some little-known information about the fighting that occurred nearby at the end of WWII.

The Colmar Pocket

The Colmar Pocket is a gorgeous area in the Alsace region in northwestern France. It was the only optional Viking excursion we chose. It was rather expensive, so we waffled back and forth about spending the extra funds. In hindsight, I’m glad we did!

The fighting in the Colmar Pocket was part of the Battle of the Bulge. The battles there were mostly unknown to me, so I was glad to become aware of this important part of history. Lastly, the villages we saw were so beautiful!

Strasbourg was an included excursion in France, which I certainly loved. But, I was happy to also be able to see the beautiful French countryside and villages in the area.

Colmar Pocket Museum

The museum, is located in the small village of Turckheim. They dedicated the museum to the Colmar Pocket battles that occurred during winter 1944-1945. Local residents and veterans donated many of the items in the museum .

American and French soldiers liberated the towns and villages in the area, which was the last stronghold of the German army. In fact, Germany heavily defended the Alsace-Lorraine area. The defense was second only to Normandy.

The museum provides a film about the battles and also many artifacts from the war.

In the uniforms below, the winter uniforms are most noteworthy. The battles in the Colmar Pocket occurred during an unusually bitter winter. There was 3 feet of snow on the ground with temperatures as low as -4 degrees F.

Hitler annexed the Alsace-Lorraine region in 1940. The German army held the area from November 1944 until Allies liberated it on February 2nd, 1945. It was the last battle on French soil.

The Allies had liberated Strasbourg three months earlier. The Colmar Pocket battle lasted twenty-one days in bitter cold and the losses were great. The Americans lost 8,000 lives and the French lost 16,000. Germany lost 20,000 lives and 16,000 were imprisoned.

Colmar Pocket Memorials

The monument below honors American soldiers from the 3rd, 28th, and 36th Infantry Divisions. It sits on a hilltop with a plaque, a flag, and insignias for the divisions. Lightning recently hit the flag and when we were there, they had not replaced it. Our guide was very unhappy that several days had passed without the issue being addressed .

Colmar Pocket memorial in Kientzheim — Memorial of U.S. Soldiers in Kientzheim

The area near the memorial has vineyards as far as the eye can see. The wine of the Alsace region is highly regarded. Most are white wines.

The Vosges Mountains, which are over 1,000 feet high, separate France and Germany and thus made the task of entering Germany more difficult for the Allies.

The only German concentration camp on French soil was located in the Vosges Mountains at an elevation of 26o feet. The Germans opened it in 1941 and sent 54,000 people there. Consequently, a third of them perished.

Ostheim Memorial

The war memorial is actually a destroyed building from WWII in the town of Ostheim. It honors those killed or missing in WWI and WWII. Note the stork nest on the top. The stork is a symbol of the Alsace region and the inhabitants highly regard it.

Colmar Pocket memorial in Ostheim — Ostheim War Memorial

They have affixed a plaque dedicated to the soldiers of the 3rd Infantry Division to the monument.

Plaque dedicated to 3rd Infantry Division

Audie Murphy Memorial

Lastly, the Audie Murphy memorial is dedicated to the most decorated soldier in WWII. He earned 28 medals, including three from France and one from Belgium. The memorial is also near where the fighting took place.

Murphy climbed upon a burning Wolverine M10 tank with a machine gun. Though wounded in the leg, he prevented the enemy’s advance by defending three sides for almost an hour. He single-handedly killed over 50 enemy soldiers.

Murphy later became an actor and appeared in 44 films. He was a true American hero!

Colmar Pocket Audie Murphy Memorial — The Memorial

Turckheim

Turckheim is a village that was a site of fighting during WWII and is where the museum is located. It still has 13th century walls that are older than most in the area.

The Hotel’s Renaissance building on the left in the photo below dates back to 1540 and is a historic monument.

The old guardhouse has an interesting history too. It dates back to 1575 and was once a covered market and later the Town Hall. Currently, it houses the police department. The bell at the top was acquired in 1658 and the fountain in 1667. A statue of Mary and Jesus stand atop the fountain.

There was a lovely pastry shop inside the restaurant below.

The Munster Gate was built in the 14th century and has a dark history. Witches were led through the gate to be burned at the stake in the square. The bell in its tower had another function. It warned of impending thunderstorms.

Colmar Pocket Munster Gate — The Munster Gate

Colmar Pocket Church

The present building of the Church Sainte Anne was built in 1839 because the prior one was destroyed by fire. The Romanesque bell tower is all that remains from the original 12th century building. A Turckheim sanctuary was first mentioned in the year 898.

Note the original bell tower below on the right.

The church was empty while I was there, but it was beautiful and peaceful inside.

It is also pretty looking to the back of the church and there is a good view of the organ above.

We saw a lot of ancient and awe-inspiring cathedrals on our cruise, but this church was also special to experience.

Statue of Liberty Connection

The sculptor of The Statue of Liberty, Auguste Bartholdi, was born in Colmar. To honor him, they placed a miniature replica of the statue in a Colmar traffic circle. The resin statue is almost 40 feet tall . It was so cool to see.

Colmar Pocket Statue of Liberty — Statue of Liberty on Colmar Circle

In Conclusion

I’m so glad we included this excursion in our Viking Rhine River cruise. However, it makes me think we might have missed out by not taking some of the other options.

Above all, the Alsace region is just breathtaking! Strasbourg was another Alsace region city we loved.

Strasbourg, My Favorite

Strasbourg

To visit Strasbourg, our Viking cruise ship docked at the city of Kehl on the German side of the Rhine River. The river separates Germany and France’s borders. Viking provided a motor coach across the river and into the city of Strasbourg with a local guide on board to give his perspective of the city.

Strasbourg was my favorite stop of the cruise because of its unique nature and the beauty of the city and its cathedral. It is also the capital of Europe and the seat of European Parliament. The city is located in the Alsace region, an area known for excellent white wine, combined French/German culture, sauerkraut, medieval walls, storks, castles, and Christmas markets.

Strasbourg also has many bridges, including three arched bridges built in thirteenth century that cross the Ill River, a tributary of the Rhine.

Changing Nationalities

Today, Strasbourg is a French city, but it changed hands multiple times between France and Germany during WW I and WW II.

In 1618, Strasbourg was a French city, but it became a part of the German Empire from 1870 to 1918. However, after the first world war, it reverted back to France under the Treaty of Versailles. During the second world war, it again became a German city. Lastly, it returned to France at the end of the second world war. A local guide said that during those years, its citizens could only speak the language of the country that was in control. He quoted his grandfather regarding the difficulty it created. But, I can only imagine how frustrating that must have been.

A Unique City

Our local Viking guide, Caroline, laid out her plans to show us parts of the city using the model below.

Caroline, tour guide, describes our tour of the city

The city is a beautiful blend of both French and German culture and architecture. At over 465 feet tall, the cathedral looms high in the model. From 1647 to 1884, it was the tallest building in the modern world.

Christmas

Strasbourg began the tradition of the Christmas tree. For instance, a document in the museum dated in 1492 states that they put up fir trees throughout the city to celebrate the renewal of winter. They simply decorated them with fruit and pretzels to brighten the darkest of winter. By the 18th century, they also brought the trees into the homes as a celebration of Christmas. The custom was then brought around the world as Germans migrated.

Strasbourg has been holding a Christmas market since 1570 and it is one of the oldest in Europe. It is also known as the Capital of Christmas.

The Cathedral

As in most European cities, the ancient cathedral is the main attraction. The Cathedralis made of sandstone. While primarily Gothic, it actually combines both Gothic and Romanesque architectural styles. Furthermore, it stands on the site of an ancient Roman Temple.

While originally built in 1015, it was subsequently destroyed by a fire. All that remained was the crypt and footprint. They began reconstruction in the 12th century and the building was strongly influenced by the Gothic style of the time. It was completed in 1439. Interestingly, the cathedral only has one spire. It appears that financing was a major factor.

For a time starting in the 1500s, the cathedral became a Protestant place of worship because of the popularity of Martin Luther’s teachings. However, the French King restated it as ‘Catholic’ in 1681. It as listed a a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1988.

The entrance is on the west side of the cathedral and there are statues of Old Testament prophets on each side. Its door has many carvings. The 49 foot tall Rose Window shines from above. It represents the city’s commercial power in the Middle Ages.

The Interior

Of all the cathedrals we visited on our trip, the interior of this one was the most beautiful and interesting. It is enormous and very ornate. The nave (worship area) of the cathedral is 107 feet tall, 202 feet long and 52 feet wide.

The stained glass windows are from the twelfth to fourteenth centuries. We saw an interesting movie on our cruise ship, “The Monuments Men”, a true story about a group of soldiers searching for art hidden by the Nazis. The soldiers recovered the cathedral’s stained glass from a German salt mine in 1945. It was a very good movie and it is coming to Netflix October 1.

Rose Window

The Rose Window is above the door on the exterior. It appears small in the photo, but it is actually 49 feet tall. Hopefully, that will serve to show the epic size of the interior.

Silbermann Organ

Johann Andreas Silbermann, noted Alsace organ builder, created the ornate musical instrument in 1741. It has both German and French characteristics. They rebuilt it several times going back to 1298. It has three keyboards and a moving figure of Sampson and a trumpet player.

The Astronomical Clock

The astronomical clock is a masterpiece of the Renaissance. Artists, mathematicians, clockmakers, and sculptors contributed the creation of this beautiful timepiece. They installed the mechanism of the present day clock in 1842 and for first clock in 1354.

There is a lot more going on than timekeeping. The four stages of the life of man parade in front of death at the upper level, which symbolizes time’s effect on man. The twelve apostles parade before Christ. The days of the week are also a component of the clock.

We saw its movement on the half hour and it was pretty cool.

Strasbourg Astronomical Clock — Astronomical Clock

Other City Sights

Restaurants

Lovely restaurants and cobbled streets surround the cathedral. We had a cappuccino at the restaurant below and enjoyed watching the people going by with the cathedral in the background.

It would have been nice to have a meal at one of the restaurants, but we wanted to be sure to not miss our ride back to the ship.

One of many restaurants with outdoor seating

Old Customs House

The Old Customs House is an ancient building that has been repurposed. It was built in 1358, but was heavily damaged during bombing raids of WWII. So, they rebuilt it almost twenty years later, based upon the original medieval plans. Today, it houses a restaurant and a market for fresh produce.

Storks

Storks are the symbol of the Alsace region and Strasbourg. They symbolize fertility and residents also believe they bring luck and wealth. The image of storks are visible all over the city. Stork nests are encouraged on top of buildings and houses. A folk tale of the 9th century depicted storks a a symbol of peace.

Strasbourg stork — Storks are the symbol of Strasbourg

The Oldest House

The brown and orange half-timbered Kammerzell house below is considered the most beautiful house in the city. It has five-stories and was built in 1427. The house is named for Phillipe Kammerzell, a grocer. Today, the building is a restaurant and hotel.

Oldest house in Strasbourg — La Maison Kammerzell

Museum

The Musée de l Oeuve is another ancient building. They constructed its left wing in 1347 and the right wing in 1739. The museum houses art that dates from the Middle Ages to 1681. I understand the museum has a large collection of statues, stained glass, and art. But, we did not have the time to visit.

In Conclusion

I’m afraid that our stop in Strasbourg just wetted my appetite to see and do more in the city because we were only there for a few hours. However, it was my favorite stop on our Viking cruise. Now that I’ve seen it, perhaps I may return someday.

Lastly, check out my post, Spyer Germany to see another magnificent cathedral.