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A Visit to The Leaning Tower of Pisa

This is a guest post authored by Mr. Roland Millward. He is well travelled and host a travel blog. I would love one day to travel to Pisa, but until then…Roland gives us a descriptive visual of this beautiful place and amazing structure. Love always, Chrissy

Italy is famous for its beautiful countryside, lakes, history and architecture including the Leaning Tower of Pisa. In 2016 I was privileged to go on a tour of Italy which included a stop in Pisa with a visit, of course, to the famous Leaning Tower.

The history of this tower is intriguing and I would like to tell you about my visit.
The Leaning Tower of Pisa, Italy

Work started on building the tower in August 1173 and it was completed in 1399. At completion, it was originally 60m high but today it is 56.67m on the highest side and 55.86m on the lowest side, with getting close to 300 steps to get to the top. It was quite early during the build that the tower began to lean.

The tower is for the bell to summon the worshippers to the Basilica. There is also a Baptistery forming a row of buildings, the Baptistery first, then the Basilica and headed up by the Tower of Pisa. Unbaptised Catholics were not allowed into the Basilica and hence the Baptistery is a separate building.

As the tower was built there were attempts to correct the leaning by adding structures at another angle. This means that if the leaning tower today was stood upright it would still be wonky as a result. If you look carefully at the tower you can see the change of angles as the tower was built. The reason for the lean of course is the soft ground and it has also affected the Baptistery and Basilica but due to the width of these buildings, this is not really noticeable.

The Leaning Tower of Pisa is now Stable

There have been many attempts to prevent the Tower of Pisa from falling down. There is a good reason not to straighten it – the tourists would not come in the same numbers! The most recent work has finally stabilised the tower and it now sits leaning at about 17 feet (5.18m) off the perpendicular. This final work was completed in 2001 and the tower is no longer moving towards disaster. You can pay to climb the steps to the top of the tower but make sure that you are fairly fit and be prepared for a strange feeling due to the lean. If you wish to climb the tower and it is advisable to book tickets in advance to avoid disappointment on the day. Numbers are limited.

Standing at the base of the leaning tower and looking upwards made me feel quite dizzy and others standing next to me felt the same way. It must be our brains trying to straighten the tower coupled with the fact that beautiful white cumulus clouds were moving across the sky. It was a weird feeling!

Interestingly, the word Pisa comes from an ancient Greek word meaning ‘marshy land’, which perhaps in hindsight, should have given the early engineers and architects a clue about how good and deep the foundations should have been.
The Leaning Tower of Pisa - photo taken from a side street

The City of Pisa – More than the Leaning Tower

Pisa has more to offer than the leaning tower. It is a famed also for its university, which is the 19th oldest in the existence in the world, founded in 1343. The students form a large part of the population of the City of Pisa. The University of Pisa is a public research university and has students of the highest calibre. (see the photo below)

There are some beautiful buildings in Pisa and it’s well worth exploring away from the area that the leaning tower is located. Many of the tourists turn up on coaches, look at the tower and leave so even a few hundred yards away it can be much quieter to explore and take in the everyday Pisa. If you ever do get the opportunity to visit the Leaning Tower of Pisa make sure you allow enough time to take in much more of this interesting and beautiful Italian city.

The University of Pisa Italy

I hope that you have enjoyed a glimpse into a visit to The Leaning Tower of Pisa. This post has been written by guest blogger Roland Millward from England. You can read his blog here at Roland Millward – Blogging about Life, People & Travel.

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Why is the Ocean Brown at Galveston Island?

Why is the water brown in Galveston?

I asked this question myself the first time I saw the sea at Galveston Island, Texas.

Is the ocean really Brown at Galveston?

Yes

Is the water dirty on Galveston Island?

No, not really dirty in the sense you mean.

Answers… I promise answers.

I wondered these things myself and before I would stick one toe inside the water there, I looked it up. I wanted a scientific explanation (dumbed down enough that I could understand.) I mean… Is brown water in Galveston safe?

Here’s why the ocean water is brown in Galveston:

The Gulf of Mexico is fed in part via the “Loop Current”. This is a nifty term that scientist like to use 😉 This ocean flow (or current) send warmer water from the Yucatan Channel northward into the Gulf of Mexico. As this current comes in it bends and then heads towards Florida.

( I am no artist, but I drew a diagram to help you visualize.)

Loop Current brings in warm water

The Loop Current is one of the strongest and fastest in the Atlantic Ocean. This is what happens in the lower portion of the Gulf of Mexico.

Now… the upper portion of the gulf is affected by other factors. Look at my terrible diagram and notice the pink arrows from Louisiana towards Texas. Notice how the current is kissing the coast of Texas there?

The Mississippi River empties into the Gulf. Not considering the tributaries this river has, the Mississippi alone carries roughly 2 million tons of sediment each day. This sediment is dumped into the Gulf waters around and near Louisiana heavier than other areas. But this sediment is also joined by sediment from the Red River. You see, the Red River joins up with the Mississippi to create the Atchafalaya River. Guess where that river empties…

Yep, it’s the Gulf of Mexico. Are you starting to see a trend?

Sediment of Mississippi River Map Gulf of Mexico

Sediment of Mississippi River as indicated by red markings

The currents (above in pink) indicate how the sediment in carried in two directions. Those currents carry a large portion of sediment to the coast of Texas. Sediment in other beach areas of the US have sea flora on the ocean floor that help trap sediment and clear the water. The ocean around Galveston is mostly shallow. Shallow water has a high sand and sediment turnover … literally. Therefore the water has a brown color that cannot be seen through.

The brown ocean water is very warm, almost tepid. Although it is murky water, it’s thoroughly relaxing to swim in the warm water.

Have you been to Galveston and seen the brown water? Did it bother you or did you enjoy it just the same! If you’d like to read more about Galveston Island, please click here to visit a guest post I wrote about it for Mr Roland Millward’s Travel Blog.

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Visit Palo Duro Canyon, Texas

While we were in the Dallas-Fort Worth area in northern Texas, we asked several folks, “what is there to do in Dallas?” or “What are things to do in North Texas?” Often we were told about local parks. We did visit these local parks and were pretty disappointed. So began our search online to find things to do and places to go and adventures we could enjoy in North Texas. We discovered the panhandle area and the beautiful photos of that area. Amarillo was also in that neck of the woods, so we thought…

Why not?

I can’t remember if it was my husband or I that found Palo Duro Canyon State Park, but the pictures online were absolutely gorgeous. We dug out some Best Western travel cards and found a pet-friendly Hotel in Canyon Texas. We prefer a Hotel to other accommodations. After we booked our room, packed our bags (and our dog), we hit the road.

My husband chose our route based on the less travelled. He knew it would take longer to drive from Dallas to Canyon Texas, but it would allow us to see smaller towns, avoid toll roads and several hours of bumper to bumper traffic where cars freely weave in & out on multi lane bridges like they’re on a Nascar track. (I’ll share those back road adventures in another article.) The total drive took us roughly 6 1/2 to 7 hours. Please keep in mind, we drove easy, stopped often and enjoyed the sites along the way. The drive from the DFW area to Canyon would have taken only 4 1/2 to 5 hours if we were more destination focused.

Arriving in Canyon Texas, a small town about 20 minutes outside Amarillo Texas, we immediately noticed it was a cozy place. Main Street literally being its main attraction, the people were very welcoming and the traffic was slow. The pace of life was much more easy-going. The weather was beautiful.

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The entrance to Palo Duro Canyon is about 8 to 10 minutes away from the Best Western Hotel in Canyon Texas. The following morning we had coffee and packed a couple of bagels, various snacks & plenty of water for our adventure.

…

One of the most important thing to do in Palo Duro Canyon is stay hydrated. The weather there can be tricky and the canyon floor can easily reach over 110 degrees for several hours each day.

At the entrance we waited in line for about 25 minutes before we paid $5 per person. It’s important for any visitor to know that this park is highly populated as well as many of Texas’ other state parks. In the event the park is at full capacity, the Park Rangers pass out tickets to hold your place in line until they’re able to allow admittance (which can take up to 4 hours). I highly recommend being one of the first in line or you may not be able to visit the park on the day you arrive!

Palo Duro Canyon is very well-kept. The park rangers regularly patrol the canyon for exhausted visitors that may need a little aid. There were signs posted everywhere stating at least a gallon of water per person was recommended for each hour. We sweated this much or more and drank about a gallon an hour each on the trails.

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Shortly after we entered there was a beautiful look-out point fabulous for taking photos! We also noticed the cabins located off to the right. The park rents these cabins out for overnight stays. They looked very nice, but we did not go inside any of them. Traveler tip: If you are looking to rent a cabin, do it well in advance – possibly several months out.

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From that point we ascended down on a curvy road toward the bottom of the Canyon. We passed the theatre area where the Texas Musical Play was presented in the evening. Ticket were available for purchase, but we did not attend.

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Next there was a store/deli/tourist shop. The prices were a bit higher there then if you weren’t inside a Texas State Park but not too terribly unreasonable.

What did they sell inside the Trading Post?

They made homemade ice cream which was absolutely delicious and I highly recommend you try at the grill! One serving was large enough to share but not knowing, we ordered two. Their french fries were absolutely great and my husband’s said their hamburger was totally delicious. They also sold water and gasoline for those who were low on fuel. This was also the place to find t-shirts, postcards, and any other tourist gift and memorabilia to commemorate a visit.

There were too many campsites to count. We saw primitive, modern, and large RV Park sites as well. There was also a section on the far side of the park for equestrians. The camping sorts available were numerous and we saw people from all walks of life on different budgets enjoying their stay.

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There’s a small stream of water that normally runs through the bottom of the canyon according to the Trail Maps. The creek beds were mostly dry when we were there.

The many hiking trails were varied from super easy to extremely challenging. I loved hiking there because the brush and trees provided shade to cool off at different intervals.

The dirt in the Palo Duro Canyon is red. The rocks are many colors though. The contrast was beautiful and made for some gorgeous photos.

The flora in the canyon included small & large trees, several types of flowers and cacti, and many tumbleweed type bushes. The creatures we saw in the canyon include lizards, rabbits, roadrunners, turkey and other birds. Signs along the way read that it was possible to encounter other types as well, but we didn’t. I was a little afraid that we would be in contact with a rattlesnake, but we got lucky and never saw one.

Things to do in Palo Duro Canyon included:

Biking, Hiking, Camping, RV Park, Bird Watching, Horseback Riding, Caving, (we saw at least 3 caves for the brave to explore. I wasn’t one of the brave!) and much more.

It was a dusty adventure in the Palo Duro Canyon. We stayed for about 5 1/2 hours on the trip hiking roughly 10 miles that day. When we left we were covered in the dusty red dirt from the second largest canyon in the United States.

It was rather surprising that the Palo Duro Canyon was so little known to the various folks we spoke to in Texas area. I don’t understand how such an awesome place was so unrecognized by the locals.

Enjoy the slide show and leave me a comment about things to do in Texas. I love suggestions!

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What is Bigger in Texas?

Have you ever heard it said, “Everything is bigger in Texas”? I’m here to tell you it’s true. Almost everything I saw while I was there was much bigger than any place I’ve traveled. Here’s a touristy perspective of Texas.

The sky is bigger in Texas. It’s HUGE! The sky is massively vast and will consume not only your immediate vision, but your peripheral vision too. Have you ever taken a photo with a fish eye or panoramic lens? That’s the best way I can describe how your eyes perceive the sky in Texas. In fact it’s so encompassing, your mind may go into shock. I remember the first time I saw the Atlantic Ocean from the shore line & how vast I thought it was. I was filled with awe. In comparison, the ocean seems so manageable after seeing the sky in Texas. And that is an honest compare after seeing the ocean from almost every beach on the east coast and the gulf. It’s just big.
Food is bigger in Texas. The chicken fried steak is bigger than the plate it’s served on. A serving of biscuit & gravy is enough to feed a family of 4. Tea glasses are so big, I had to use two hands to drink it. The only small food servings you can find are at National Chain restaurants like Olive Garden or IHOP.
The spiders are bigger in Texas. So are the cockroaches. One evening I was having a smoke on the patio and a cockroach at least 5″ long and 2″ wide came walking up to me like everything was normal. I screamed, stomped it and it just looked at me and walked away!
The crows are bigger in Texas. They’re a Mexican breed I was told. They have an eerie scream like a sound effect from a horror movie. They’re also big enough to pick up a Buick and fly off with it. (That may be a slight exaggeration.)
Trains are bigger in Texas. They’re really long with several engines pulling them. Actually many towns were either made or broken by the Railway. The northern part of Texas being rather flat allowed for easy railway access to transport goods. These same railways were the cause of a few ghost towns too. Trains are a bigger deal in Texas than many other states.
The affluent population is bigger in Texas. Look up a town named Plano, TX. Enough said!
The highways are bigger in Texas. I’ve been in some congested cities, but oh my… If you haven’t been to Dallas on a bridge over a bridge that’s over another bridge that’s over the toll road below…you haven’t lived. Most of the highways, interstates and toll roads are 5 or 7 lanes wide all the way and up to 150′ tall.
The traffic congestion is bigger in Texas! I don’t care where you live or how bad your roads are, if you haven’t driven to Dallas, Houston, or San Antonio in Rush hour you’ve never seen bad congestion.
The tolls are bigger in Texas. It can easily cost over $20 one way on one road to go about 35-40 miles…without getting off on an exit (which is when you’re usually charged for a toll)
The shopping options are bigger in Texas. Name a national or regional store. It’s in Texas along with thousands of home grown mom & pop shops.
The windmills are bigger in Texas. The largest windmill farm in the U.S is in Texas in the town of Electra.
Jalapeno peppers are bigger in Texas. Oh I’m sure there’s a town here or there in other places that love jalapenos but in Texas almost every restaurant will off you a jalapeno with your order. Order a hamburger, you’ll get a jalapeno. Order a salad, you’ll have jalapenos sprinkled on it. Want an ice cream? Guess what they’re going to offer you on the side: Jalapeno! Every grocery store has a large display of jalapeños they show off with much pride.
Electric company choices are bigger in Texas. In every neighborhood, folks have a choice of at least 2-10 electric companies. Shoot… at home, half of my state has 1 electric company!
The hiking trails are bigger in Texas. Hiking is a big deal for folks in North Texas. Afterall, they either live on a farm in the middle of nowhere or are crammed into a city with millions of people. Nature takes their mind off all that. Every hiking trail we found was so crowded with thousands of people, it was difficult to enjoy nature…you couldn’t hear nature for the conversations & people!
Pride for their state is bigger in Texas. Texans love other Texans and they love their state. They are living in a state that has almost every terrain possible in the US and almost every weather pattern. Texas could easily be self-contained and self-supporting. The economy in Texas is great and the job market is ripe. Texans take pride in their heritage and home lands. Don’t underestimate a Texan either. Most are well educated and street smart too (which is a nifty combination). Many folks fly the Texas state flag in their yards. Businesses fly it just under the United States Flag or right along next to it. I understand now why so many people are dedicated to their state here. It truly is The Great State of Texas.
Mom and pop retails stores are conveniently located all over the state. I love to shop the home-grown entrepreneurs and the products are usually unique and home grown. There is a pride weaved into every product and “Bigger than Life” dose of love gently added to each piece. You don’t have to drive or fly all the way to Texas to experience some of the unique products though. Shopping on line has made it easy.

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Be a Tourist in St. Augustine Florida – America’s Oldest City

I felt very fortunate to be able to visit St. Augustine, Florida. This is a city rich in history and culture. The locals here are proud of their status as the Oldest Established City in United States and are welcoming of tourist. Before we made the trip to St. Augustine, we searched the internet for things to do and “Pet Friendly”. We read on several sites that St. Augustine was an extremely dog friendly city, so we took our beloved dog along for the trip. However, we found that this was not necessarily true!

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We drove into the heart of downtown St. Augustine and parked in a public parking garage for the day. We walked through many streets of the downtown area on a self guided tour of our own making. There are many historic signs along the way and even more photo opportunities. The most notable historic part of our travels was Juan Ponce De Leon. His statue is in the heart of St. Augustine. It is a copy of the original statue located in Old San Juan, Puerto Rico. Legend says it was originally cast in bronze from English cannons seized after the English reigned down on San Juan in 1792.

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Architecture

The architecture of the buildings are magnificent and the building materials I found fascinating. Much of the original town was built from Coquina. We saw many of these huge rocks along side the beaches in Central Florida but didn’t understand their significance. We discovered that this coquina is highly sought after in modern-day as landscaping displays. But back in 1565 when the Spanish landed and began their occupation, this building materials was plentiful. Coquina (Coe-Queen-a) made great material for forts, especially for heavy cannon use. Due to Coquina’s softness, cannonballs were said to sink into it instead of shatter it or make holes in the walls. The walls of the Castillo de San Marcos are made of Coquina and the first Saint Augustine Lighthouse was also built of it. It’s truly a cool looking rock composed of millions of pieces of shell and invertebrates from the sea; all compresses together to create a type of concrete.

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History

St. Augustine received it’s name after a Saint of the Roman Catholic Church. It is said that the land was first sighted on August 28th and also played a part in naming. The Timucuan Indians where inhabiting this land when the Spanish arrived. They were a people of many chiefs and several tribes spanning across central Florida and stretching upward into Georgia. The Timucuan Indians were politically savvy in that they got along with the Spaniards in many ways and were peaceful. But within a few short years of meeting, their population was reduced from roughly 200,000 to 50,000. The Spaniards brought with them a multitude of European diseases to which the Timucuan Indians had no immunity or resistance. By the 1700’s the tribe had been reduced to less than 1000 and within the first of the 19th century, they were gone all together.

St. Augustine is hailed as the oldest permanently occupied European City in the Americas and this city is so worth a visit. There is a plethora of history here and the landscapes are breathe-taking. We went to spend the day and take in as much as could – but due to having our precious pooch with us, we were only able to stay for about 4-5 hours before we left.

Not Truly Pet Friendly

I believe this city could be family friendly, but I wouldn’t recommend it as pet friendly. We couldn’t take our fur baby into the stores or other establishments on our visit. She wasn’t welcome at public restrooms, visitor centers, shows or museums we may have been interested in. We did find 1 pet friendly public park that she was welcomed to, but there were so many dogs there, it was not the best environment. We had a good time with her, but we could have explored so much more had we left her with a sitter.

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We ate lunch at a quaint cafe downtown that actually brought our dog a bowl of water and was welcoming. (See photos above)

The people passing by on the sidewalk were not as nice though. Rude is a better word…they were not pet friendly. We were asked to “Hold your dog so I can pass” and asked several times if she would bite. All I could assume was that there have been some seriously aggressive dogs brought into this town at some point. As in other historic downtown areas, there was much of the downtown area turned residential and the rudeness we encountered was from these residents.

I would give St Augustine a 2 out of 5 for pet friendly, but I would rate it 4 out of 5 for family friendly and accessibility. Most of the streets are easily walkable and there are ramps at every corner for strollers, wheel chairs and motorized scooters. (Had the residents we encountered been a bit more amicable, I would be inclined to rate 5 out of 5 for family friendly. Having raised 5 kiddos myself, I can tell you that these folks won’t be as nice to your toddlers or pre-teens either.)

Until next time, hang tight…

Chrissy

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Exploring Tomoka State Park, FL

Tomoka State Park is located in central Florida on the east coast side. It’s only about a 30 minute drive north from Daytona Beach, 20 minute drive east from Destination Daytona (in Ormond Beach), about an hour and half drive from Orlando, 15 minute drive from Flagler Beach and is located just on the mainland across the Halifax River from Ormond By The Sea.

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Family oriented and pet friendly, this state park’s admission was $5 per vehicle or $2 per bicyclist or pedestrian for an all day stay. There are camping sites within the park and several great fishing holes. We didn’t enter into the camping area, so I can’t tell you much about it, but we saw a great many folks fishing all over the park.

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Gorgeous greenery, seasonal flowers and filled with palm trees of various sorts, this park is inviting and beautiful. Large turnarounds are situated along the main gravelled (crushed shell) roadways. Well laid trails to hike are scattered about and there’s some wildlife to see. Large turtles call this park home as well as a stray alligator from time to time also. The turtles were particularly intriguing to our dog. They were digging into the soft sandy soil to conceal their eggs, so we didn’t get to see them up close.

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At the far end of the main trail there is a large tribute statue to the Tomoka Indians. It is weathered terribly and large sections of the statue have fallen off. The state of decay was sad to see, but it seems any money spent on the park has gone into the upkeep of the grounds – which were very nice. A restroom facility is located in the same alcove as the statue and there are several camping or cookout sections there as well.

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Visiting the Tomoka State Park was a delight for the day and gets a 5 out of 5 for family friendly and pet friendly. I highly recommend it! Click here to learn more about the park.

Adventuring onward….

Chrissy

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A new love 💘

I have a confession to make. I fell in love several months ago. Keeping it to myself until just recently when I shared it with my husband was difficult to do. He has been understanding and very accepting of my new love. He’s definitely my best friend and understands.

You see until recently, I enjoyed travel as long as it was recreational, short-lived and I knew we were coming back home soon enough. But lately, so many things have changed in our lives. All the kids are “grown” or at least they think they are. They have all moved away from home now and declared their independence. We are now Empty-Nesters and have grown into a new class of people. One that I always assumed would never affect me much because I just knew that all the boys would still be around. I assumed that they would be around regularly and that the house they would always come home to the house they grew up in, the house they matured in and had so many developmental memories and such would somehow mean the world to them. Why I thought this way, I’ll never know.

I moved away from home at 18 and struck off on a life of my own too. I never looked back or even considered going back home. Actually, I saw going back home as a failure in life. If I couldn’t make it on my own, I would have been devastated! There was one point when I went back though, in 2001 for about a year and half when both my parents were in a terrible car accident. Mom begged me to come help her and I did. That was short-lived as God gave her Grace and she was walking again when I left. Alas, I digress…. so back to my new love…

So delusional thoughts aside, reality is often not was we expect it to be. In an adventurous ever-changing world that we cannot control, we are but passengers on this ride through life. A passenger doesn’t control the direction – and in my life God is the driver. So in recent years, I have just sat back and watched he scenery as I’ve been passing through. God is still my greatest love of all, number 1 in my life…my husband is number 2. But as for this new love I referred to, well it surprises me just as much as it has surprised my husband.

I love to travel! Not just leisure travel, but packing up and moving away travel. This travel is one that I had always denied before, absolutely refusing to leave East Tennessee. Now, I’m excited by the thought and look forward to many new adventures along the way!

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Nicest & Most Affordable Vacation Rental in Ormond Beach, FL

Through Devine Providence we found the Nicest and most affordable fully furnished vacation rental properties in Ormond Beach, Florida. I wish I could tell you we were active Snowbirds & our trip was leisure, but alas we were traveling for work.

I knew that we did not want to be in a hotel, even though we enjoy those luxuries, we wanted to feel much more at home and we wanted to bring along our faithful dog. We needed a place to stay for a couple of weeks & usually pet friendly hotel rooms are crawling with fleas & generally stink. To be respectful, we did ask for the furniture to be covered in sheets because we knew that our dog would shed a great deal and did not want the owner to be required to clean up all that shedding.

We were blessed to find Miriam at Ormond Vacations! She owns 2 RVs that have been converted into stationary fixed homes in a very nice & well maintained RV park in Destination Daytona. Both of which are extremely clean, completely functional & cozy. For now, I’d like to tell you about unit 178 “The Knot”. This place is a Glamper’s dream! Not only is “The Knot” cozy, it’s also large pet friendly! If you’ve ever tried to travel with a Golden retriever or a lab, you know that not all places labeled as pet friendly truly are. Not only was our large pooch welcomed, the owner caters to pet lovers. There was special towels, bowls, and carpet powder just for your 4 legged friend, along with feeding & water bowls.

*Please keep in mind as you look through the pictures that I’m showing you this place as we “lived” in it. These are candid photos. I have blurred names and brands on some products or blurred paperwork for privacy.

This rental would be considered the size of a small home, but 3 times larger than a hotel room. Upon arrival, parking in the rear, you’ll notice this place stands out among the rest. The owner has paid attention to every detail from the finely manicured yard to the decorative parking spot. The back patio is inviting with a carpeted entrance & if you’re searching for privacy, you’ve found it here.

Upon entry to the rear of the home you’ll find the mud room equipped with a full size washer & dryer. From this point there’s an entry into the bedroom or access to the living room area.

The living room is quaint with a comfy recliner, 2 end tables, a couch, & coffee table. The flat screen TV is mounted on the wall for convenience. This room leads to the dining room or outside to the screened in porch. For now let’s go outside 😉

The large screened-in porch has plenty of seating with a sweetheart bench, 4 patio chairs & a lounge chair. It’s quaintly decorated & there’s a table & television there as well. This table is where I did a lot of work on the lap top while watching the sun come up in the east. Sunsets are gorgeous here also! If you get too warm out there, you can turn on the oscillating fan to create a breeze.

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Going back in, enter the dining room on your right by going up 2 steps. The dining room area was one of my husband’s favorite spots. It’s largely spacious & beautifully decorated with a nautical ambiance. A cozy and comfortable loveseat is situated on one wall with a coffee table across from a larger television perched in the bay window area. In the kitchen area there’s a large table with 4 chairs across the way from the full size refrigerator. There’s no stove for cooking, but there’s a double eye burner, a larger toaster oven, toaster, large microwave, electric skillet, coffee pot and all the utensils, accessories, pots, pans, strainers, etc needed to cook a full meal!

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Leaving the kitchen, enter a hallway with tons of storage space with built-in closets & drawers – which are across from the restroom.

On the other end of the hallway, you’ll enter the bedroom. Large, yet cozy with a queen size comfortable bed. The bedroom has even more storage & is decorated mystically also.

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Long story short, this RV converted home is spacious, beautiful, well insulated, and priced much lower than any other vacation rental in the area. The owner is responsive, accommodating, and a valuable source of local information to make your stay the best possible! She genuinely cares that her vacationers have a wonderful stay & maintains one of the cleanest places around!

“The Knot” is also biker friendly, smoker friendly and as mentioned before – large dog friendly. It has cable TV service ready for your entertainment and Wi-Fi is available from CampLink.

I would recommend “The Knot” and Ormond Vacations to anyone looking for a vacation rental in central Florida, Daytona Beach, Ormond Beach, Palm Coast, Flaggler Beach, or maybe even Orlando if the drive doesn’t bother you This location is about a 1 hour drive to Orlando, 1 hour drive to St. Augustine, 1.5 hours drive to Disney, and only minutes from Daytona. If you’re interested in Bike Week or the Daytona 500, this is your best price!

More information is available here. By the way, incase you’re wondering, I have received no compensation from the owner of this lovely property. I just simply had to share this super awesome value for travelers on a budget and re-enforce that traveling on a budget doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice luxuries!

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ChrissyAdventures

Everyday is an Adventure. Embrace it

Posts tagged ‘travel’

A Visit to The Leaning Tower of Pisa

The Leaning Tower of Pisa is now Stable

The City of Pisa – More than the Leaning Tower

Why is the Ocean Brown at Galveston Island?

Visit Palo Duro Canyon, Texas

What is Bigger in Texas?

Be a Tourist in St. Augustine Florida – America’s Oldest City

Architecture

History

Not Truly Pet Friendly

Exploring Tomoka State Park, FL

A new love 💘

Nicest & Most Affordable Vacation Rental in Ormond Beach, FL

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Everyday is an Adventure. Embrace it

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The Leaning Tower of Pisa is now Stable

The City of Pisa – More than the Leaning Tower

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Not Truly Pet Friendly

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