During our second week in the Sunshine State, we visited dear friends in Destin, Florida. Naturally, we camped in their driveway! Using an Airstream as a guest house may seem odd at first, but it’s actually a fun experience for everyone.
It’s simply easier for us to stay in our Airstream, where we have all of our travel essentials (like crunchy peanut butter). And for our hosts, this arrangement offers an extra measure of privacy. It works exactly like a brick-and-mortar guest house, except that you can park it wherever you please. Oh, and you need to plug into electricity. I’m told that Airstreams have become hip guest houses and pool cabanas amongst the hipster set in fancy places like the Hamptons.
Speaking of the hipster set, we certainly frolicked amongst the beautiful people in Florida. We attended a couple of special events held in two particularly scenic communities.
The first was the “Change the World” fundraiser, held at the stunning new development of Alys Beach. My video doesn’t really do justice to Alys Beach; in fact, we hope to return sometime in the future to do a more extensive shoot. But suffice to say that when this place is complete, it will be among the most beautiful communities in the United States. Its architecture is reminiscent of both Bermuda and Antigua, Guatemala. It is somehow both elegant and relaxing.
The evening’s goal was to raise funds to aid Ukrainian orphans. The long term plans are to provide these children with a nurturing, home-like environment (in a place called Sasha's Home) while they await adoption. The event was an overwhelming success, raising over $100,000 in a single night! Everyone involved should be proud. Having recently visited Moldova and Transdniestria (which borders the Ukraine), I understand what a tremendous impact this money will have over there. If you’d like to learn more about the charity behind the party, check out the Barnes Family Foundation.
Next, Kristy and I ventured over to Seaside, where we attended the 17th annual Seeing Red Wine Festival. As you might have guessed, wine was the order of the day. The autumn weather has turned idyllic these past few days. With outstanding live music, fine wine, and gourmet snacks, it’s hard to imagine a more pleasant afternoon than the one we spent in Seaside.
Monday, November 5, 2007
Driveway Camping and Beautiful People
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
6 comments:
I really enjoy your vloging. I'm just wondering when this honeymoon took place. It's over right? You're just catching up on your posting? Or is it still going on?
Duane
Duane,
Well, you've asked the $10,000 question (or questions).
We were married on May 20 in Key West, Florida. We returned home, took care of business (Kristy departed her job), and prepped for our adventure. Then the "official" honeymoon started at the same time we started the blog: in early July. That's when we loaded up the Airstream and hit the road.
We spent three consecutive months "full-timing" on the road, returning home in October.
Pretty much all of our blog/vlog postings have been within a day or so of our travels. This particular entry, for example, was shot a few days ago. The Seaside wine festival was Saturday, November 3; the blog entry was Monday, November 5.
We are presently back home. We plan to stay here for a while, resting ourselves, our truck SEEMORE, and having a couple of repairs done to our Airstream. Does that mean the honeymoon is over? I'd like to think not. We will continue traveling and documenting along the way.
Also, it certainly doesn't mean that the blog is over. In the future, I'm planning to vlog on specific informative topics, as well as our usual ongoing traveling. I may also post some of our past Airstream traveling (ie. to our wedding).
So, that's a longwinded way of saying, "I don't know. Let me ask my wife!" Ha ha ;-)
Best regards,
Sean
Hi Sean & Kristy - glad to see you made it back safely! Really enjoyed your insights into the sites along your journey.
We're also plotting a cross-country trip in our A/S - even though we've been married almost 30 years, we never did have a honeymoon, so guess this will be it!
We're contemplating upgrading our gas Chevy truck to a diesel - after all the miles on your Chevy duramax, any final word on mileage?
PS how do Florida wines compare to CA wines?
Thanks Carolyn & Gerry!
I love the idea of your belated honeymoon. Better late than never! And congrats on almost 30 years of marriage.
With regard to our truck SEEMORE (he's actually a 2007 Ford F250 diesel), the average TOWING mileage was about 11.6 miles per gallon, give or take a few tenths.
The non-towing mileage is obviously better, but since it seems we're ALWAYS towing I hesitate to quote a number!
I'm sure there are raging Ford vs. Chevy debates out there. I've heard some worrisome stories about the 2008 F250 diesels (they introduced a new platform in '08) but we had ZERO problems with our F250. It performed like a champ, and the diesel power is fantastic. We certainly traveled through some extreme towing environments (like the Rocky Mountains) and never had any problems.
With regard to Florida wines...they were mostly California wines! Perhaps I should've clarified in the video, but the Seaside tasting included a wide range wineries from California, France, and Australia. They all tasted pretty good to me. :-)
Thanks for checking out the blog, and STAY TUNED! We're planning/hoping to add some cool new features in the future.
Sean
Hi Sean & Kristy, I've been following your blog since the beginning. We have a 2007 25' Classic and were thinking of trading up to a 34' for full-timing. The BIG drawback is it would cost another$34,000.00 to trade up. That's a LOT of travel money. My question is how has the 25' been for full-timing? I love our 25', I just thought it might be to small. Any advice??
Jack
Jack, that's a great question. (In fact, I'd like to answer it in video if we get a chance.)
My immediate answer is that the 25' and 34' models are two different beasts.
I love the maneuverability of the 25-footer. It's easy to tow, and buying diesel doesn't require a truck stop. That said, it's about as small as you'd want to go and still consider full-timing. Storage space is an issue, and living space is VERY limited.
We looked at a 34-footer also and were impressed. If you are truly full-timing -- and staying in one spot for an extended period of time -- then it makes sense.
Kristy has been impressed by the 30-foot Airstream Classic floorplans. But like yourself, I find myself doubting whether they are worth the extra cash. There's always a different Airstream to consider, but sometimes it's best to appreciate the one you've got. :)
More on this topic later...
Sean
Post a Comment