#12 - Tuesday, 17 January 2017 | Homestead, Florida

I'm already falling behind on my daily blogging. Sunday I visited Biscayne National Park and yesterday was spent in Everglades National Park. I will return to both when I have more time and #roadtripusa2017 is officially underway. I am just glad I was able to make a quick trip to the subtropics and enjoy my new truck. 

Biscayne is a maritime park and to truly experience it you need to get on and across the water. There are boat trips and many visitors use kayaks, canoes or powered boats to access and camp on the outlying islands that are part of this national park. When I return I intend to rent a kayak and explore the mangroves and creeks cut into the shore. During this initial visit I just walked the boardwalk where the visitor center is located and chatted with fishermen and photographed pelicans. Those fishing were after mangrove (or grey) snapper and striped mullet is also caught. Yesterday I returned to the Everglades. I have posted some images from the day on Instagram. I was fortunate to see osprey, American crocodiles, alligators, anhingas, great blue herons and more. I had a veggie burger lunch in the cafe at Flamingo Visitor Center at the southern tip of Everglades National Park. 

When I returned to my hotel in the afternoon I actually took a dip in the outdoor! swimming pool. This morning I check out of my hotel in Homestead. I probably will return to Everglades, but may instead take a drive out to Key Largo. I have decided that going further along the Keys will have to be saved for when I have nothing but time. I am staying in this area tonight, but am moving to the neighboring town of Florida City to a hotel that hopefully has better wi-fi and from where I will start heading north tomorrow morning. I have decided to take three days for the return trip instead of two very long days. Tomorrow night I will be in Macon, Georgia and from there will continue north into the chill. 

Today is the day that my Coachmen RV 276RKDSLE Freedom Express Liberty Edition travel trailer is scheduled to be completed. I'm just guessing that it will take another week to be ready for pickup at my dealer. When I get back to Chicago I will do some more organizing and look forward to finally being able to load the RV and prepare for the official launch of #roadtripusa2017.

All the best, M

#11 - Saturday, 14 January 2017 | Homestead, Florida

If you read the previous two blog entries you'll know that the second day of the road trip south was killer. When I woke this morning I felt as run down as I have in a long time and my head still ached. I had hoped to fall back asleep but instead endured another poor hotel lobby breakfast before heading to Everglades National Park. I wasn't up for much activity and knew today would be mostly about resting. But I had time to kill before I would be able to check into the Floridian Hotel in Homestead, so I did a little shopping at a Target I had spotted near my Cutler Bay La Quinta Inn, and then I drove down toward Homestead and into Everglades National Park.

In the park I paid the $25 entrance fee, which is good for seven days and I'll use today or tomorrow when I am up for hiking. This visit was about visiting the two campgrounds and the visitor center and just doing a bit of bird-watching before I could get into my next hotel room and nap. The only trail I hiked was the Mahogany Hammock. During my last visit some years ago I had found a nice everglades rat snake on the trail, but this time I only spotted 2017's first reptile – a green anole. I stopped at the Anhinga Trail parking lot, but decided not to hike as the parking area is inundated by black vultures. Signs warn you of the damage they can do to your vehicle and most of the cars had blue tarps bungee-corded over the roofs and hoods. There was no way I was going to get a scratch on my new ride! I wanted to walk the area, but decided I'd spend the time protecting my truck when I felt much better and would be able to enjoy the trails. The skies were overcast and intermittent rains fell so another day would be better regardless.

I returned to Homestead and found the hotel at about 2 pm, but the lady at the front desk was determined to enforce the 3 pm check-in time. So I did a little more shopping in the area while I waited. Once I got in the room I didn't leave and a nap was followed by watching a bit of TV before sleeping through the night. The weather here is wonderful and my room sits next to the outdoor pool. I normally only swim in natural bodies of water, but it is tempting to soak my road weary bones in the evil chlorine. We'll see .... M

#10 - Friday, 13 January 2017 | Cutler Bay, Florida

I passed out exhausted the night before and slept later than I expected in the Radisson Marietta hotel room. I realized that I now wouldn't make it to my next hotel in Cutler Bay, Florida until night and would have to contend with some morning rush hour traffic in Atlanta. Cutler Bay is a southwestern suburb of Miami where I had booked a room at La Quinta. It's northeast of Homestead–the gateway to Everglades National Park and the Florida Keys. I wanted to base myself around Homestead for this quick one-week reconnaissance trip to southern Florida, but Cutler Bay was close enough for crashing for one night upon arrival.

I'll spare you the details but today's drive was much less pleasant than that of day one. I was tired and fought a headache all day. I needed coffee but worried I was drinking too much. I drank as much water as possible and swallowed more than a few Tylenol. I don't like much about Florida. To be honest, the only thing I like is the wildlife. That's why I'm here ... oh, and for the glorious winter weather. Driving in southern Georgia was relaxing and I listened to my audiobook while taking in the billboards advertising pecans and peaches. Of course, the roadside signs in this area also are dominated by the religious, conservative and anti-abortion. These giant gaudy preaching signs begin to dominate the landscape and don't relent once you are in northern Florida. In Florida they are even more plentiful but wrestle for space among the increasing tourist attraction billboards. My head throbbed and miles became more of a struggle. Darkness eventually fell and I didn't mind as Florida isn't much to look at. I was glad once I got on the Florida Turnpike. I drove its full length for $20 in tolls, but the road is good and the service centers spaced every forty-five minutes should you need a restroom, fuel, food or to surround yourself with Floridian travelers. 

My struggle continued and I fought a pounding head for each remaining hour to my destination. Traffic jams caused by accidents slowed my progress. It wasn't until 9:30 pm that I finally arrived at my hotel. I felt dizzy and weak. But two days of driving were behind me. I had made it safely and the temperature was 75ºF. I had dressed in shorts and stood outside in just a t-shirt and shorts feeling warmer than I had in a long time.

My night's sleep was restless and I awoke at 3:30 a.m. At 6 a.m. I set my alarm for 11 and hoped I could get some more sleep before checkout. Of course, it was not to be. I gave up by 8 and headed downstairs for a dismal breakfast. The coffee was poor and I had a bowl of cereal, a banana and a few hard-boiled eggs. I did not feel good at all and knew I'd have to fill the time before 3 pm check-in at my next accommodation in Homestead. I decided I would head to Everglades National Park for some recon, but would not do much in the way of hiking or photography. I wanted to check out the park's two campgrounds that have RV spaces for when I return to Florida in the coming weeks. I stopped in the visitor center and bought a postcard and a snack. I ended up hiking the Mahogany Hammock trail where I saw the first reptile of #roadtripusa2017. Of course, it was the ubiquitous green anole common in southeastern U.S.A. But reptiles mean warmth and are my jam. I was elated as I paused to photograph him. 

At 3 p.m. I checked into the Floridian Hotel in Homestead and will stay for three nights. I have to be back "home" by Saturday morning to take care of my parrot Jesse after my sister Lisa and bonus dad Joel leave for a holiday in Riviera Maya near Cancun, Mexico with my brother-in-law Randy. I've tried to think of what I want to do during this short stay that would be easier now when I don't have the RV to think of. To be honest, I am still undecided. I would like to go to Biscayne N.P. and already add a second national park to this nascent road trip. My goal really was just to get on the road to the lifestyle I love and seek warmth. I also want to dial in my camera gear for the year's adventures. I'm considering being a tourist and visiting Jungle Island to do some photography. Of course, I will return to Everglades N.P. and on Monday might drive to Key West. This is just a pleasure trip to do some preliminary scouting and get used to the truck, plus get some camera practice in after not doing much photography during the brutal Chicago winter. My whole year will be about going wherever the wind blows me, and I need to give myself no deadlines. All I know is I want to take three days to drive home after the two days south was a bit too much. And that means heading north Thursday morning.

Double rainbow and palm trees.
Rest stop north of Orlando on the Florida Turnpike

Reminder: I will only post the odd photo to this blog. As #roadtripusa2017 continues, look for most photos at my @jacobipix Instagram.

All the best, M

Total miles driven: 689.8
Total time on the road: 11.5 hours
Departure location: Marietta, Georgia
Arrival location: Cutler Bay, Florida

#9 - Thursday, 12 January 2017 | Marietta, Georgia

Finally a post from another state! Full disclosure, however – I am actually writing this on Sunday morning from Homestead, Florida. I am playing catch up on the blog as I was too exhausted after the long drive south to type.

Last Monday morning's phone call informing me that my truck had arrived was a complete surprise. My original plan of being in Florida before the end of 2016 and ringing in the New Year from Key West seemed like a distant memory. I had actually resigned myself to the fact that I'd likely just have to wait for the RV to be ready before my #roadtripusa2017 would commence. As soon as I was able I was off to Tom Peck Ford, and that afternoon I drove off in my new ride. I knew then that I would hit the road and seek warmth. In text messages I told my sister Lisa that I would head to Florida on Friday morning and her response was "why wait?". I did want to leave immediately, but I had purchased a Protector package for the truck that would have to be applied. On Wednesday I exchanged the new truck for a loaner car while they applied treatments to the interior, the undercarriage and the truck's finish. I packed my camera backpack and a suitcase and was off at 3 a.m. Thursday morning.

The truck practically drives itself. It is so smooth and powerful. As I drove I tried to familiarize myself with each bell and whistle. The cruise control not only allows you to choose speed, but it can be set to maintain a specific distance from the vehicle in front of you. There are controls to adjust the accelerator and brake pedals to your liking. It has Apple Car Play so nine primary apps are easy accessible on the 8" touch screen control screen. I had it reading incoming texts to me and dictated my replies, which were read back to me and appended to prior to sending. I listen to audiobooks while I drive and the Audible app is included. Although the truck has its own navigation system that is voice-activated, I chose to use Maps from my iPhone as it loads directions from my Expedia app and its features were great during the drive.

white gold 2017 Ford F-150 XLT Chrome 4x4
with 3.5L EcoBoost Twin-Turbo V6 and 10-speed automatic transmission

My as of yet unnamed truck sits at a Georgia rest stop with young magnolia trees as a background.

I left Chicagoland at 3 a.m. and the roads were icy. As I progressed south through Indiana rains were frequent, but the roads were good. I watched the thermometer climb and soon was down to just a t-shirt. After several hours of driving I became very tired and pulled into a rest area and grabbed my favorite pillow. I dozed in the reclined driver's seat and after an hour or so was again soaring down the highway, listening to the second Game of Thrones novel A Clash of Kings. I've read all five of the current GoT novels, but sold them as I liquidated unneeded possessions. I will always be a man of the printed book, but today I do most of my reading on my iPad Kindle app and for road trips enjoy audiobooks. The novels are about 1000 pages each and the audiobooks over thirty hours in length, so long road trips are the perfect time for George R.R. Martin's complex stories.

Vegetarian options are scarce while living on the highway, and I have returned to a diet excluding meat. Truth be told, I am still eating fish meat as sushi is my favorite food and I worry about not getting enough protein for a big man who hikes. I definitely won't return to being vegan as I get used to fake sausage and such and love quinoa or black bean burgers, but faux cheese is just bad. For lunch I found a Pizza Hut buffet and had a crappy salad, slices of veggie pizza and garlic breadsticks. 

It was a long, long day but I was happy in my luxurious new truck, heading south to warmer climes and spectacular wildlife. I had a nice room reserved at the Radisson Hotel in Marietta, just north of Atlanta. I only stopped for coffee and places to discharge processed coffee. My new truck has the maximum trailer towing package, which includes a 36 gallon fuel tank. I only have to stop to refuel once a day. It was about 8 pm before I made it to the hotel. It was 69ºF. I had a light dinner and two bottles of Samuel Adams in the hotel bar. I hoped to be on the road again early the next morning but – spoiler alert – I slept in.

All the best, M

Total miles driven: 725.3
Total time on the road: 12.5 hours
Departure location: Hoffman Estates, Illinois
Arrival location: Marietta, Georgia

#8 - Monday, 9 January 2017 | Hoffman Estates, Illinois

This morning I was surprised by a text message informing me that my truck had finally arrived at the dealer in Huntley, IL. The dealer had no idea it was coming and had prepared to work a trade with an out of state dealer in order to meet the January 17 deadline I gave them based on the production date for my travel trailer. I spent a couple hours at the dealer at midday and spent the afternoon familiarizing myself with my new vehicle.

My stepdad Joel, sister Lisa and brother-in-law Randy are going to Riviera Maya near Cancun, Mexico on January 20th. Since my parrot Jesse is a resident at Joel's house until I return from Asia on February 25, and Joel is headed to Mexico, I have to be back to take care of her by the 21st. So I will spend tomorrow installing my bed rug and tonneau cover. Wednesday the truck will be getting body and interior treatments and I'll pack and prepare to depart. Then I will leave here Thursday and drive to the Atlanta area. On Friday I will drive to southwest of Miami. Then I will spend the weekend and the beginning of next week exploring the Everglades and Keys. I once thought I'd spend all of January in southern Florida and am just going for a week or so now because I need to hit the road and seek some warmth.

I'll be back in the Chicago area by Saturday the 21st, which is pretty close to when my RV should be ready. I'll then spend a few days getting it all loaded and organized and then make a return to Florida for some more exploring. I'll be storing the RV near Tampa by about February 4th and then return to Chicago yet again for my Asia trip.

#7 - Sunday, 8 January 2017 | Huntley, Illinois

This blog is still in its early days and readers are few and far between. However, I am committed to growing it and using it to journal during my travels. I have decided to make a magnetic sign for the back of my travel trailer that will have my Instagram/Twitter (@jacobipix) and the URI to this blog. Once I am posting about my hikes, animal sightings and such, hopefully the blog keywords will also draw new readers in. In the meantime, I ask the few of you who are reading to share via social media and the like.

As I wrote in the last entry, now that spending all of January in southern Florida was a dream unrealized I am making the best of the opportunity I have. Unfortunately, making two trips south before my trip to Asia has become increasingly unlikely as well. I probably will just resign myself to spending time with family and friends and preparing for my adventures while I wait until I have both truck and RV to leave. Although the truck being also delayed has been a great disappointment, I will make the best of it and wait until I have both truck and travel trailer before heading south. Yesterday the Ford dealer found an identical truck (color and features) in another state and has put in a trade request. Tomorrow their Ford rep will tell them when the originally ordered vehicle should arrive and if it wouldn't make it by January 17, the day the RV is supposed to be completed, hopefully the out of state dealer will be willing to trade.

Today is the 8th and that means that it is exactly one month until I depart for Asia. I just was texting with my best mate Mark about our plans. I am excited about visiting Sarawak, Borneo for the first time and especially eager to trek in Bako National Park. There are so many amazing creatures there I wish to point a lens toward. Proboscis monkeys, orangutans, silver langurs, tree vipers, river dolphins, crocodiles, and assorted spiders are among the animals I seek. After Borneo we will be on Langkawi Island, Malaysia where I visited two years ago. There we will also find amazing animals like colugos, lorises, spectacled (dusky) langurs, butterfly agamas, flying lizards, water monitors and tarantulas. Those of you who follow my Instagram (@jacobipix) may have seen my organized camera gear all laid out yesterday.

We will have a group of 14 in Sarawak and my dear friends Ray & Angela Hale will be joining us in Langkawi. We have several birthdays to celebrate and have hired a boat for the Andaman Sea. Our captain is a German woman named Eva who we hired two years ago. Her sailing craft has a full bar and we are served appetizers and mini meals all day long with unlimited drinks. Mark and I love treading water in the ocean while drinking a cold can of Tiger lager. Last time we saw sea otters swimming nearby and it was exhilarating. I am extremely sensitive to motion sickness and was very apprehensive about the boat trip two years ago. However, the sea off Langkawi is calm and with Dramamine I had no worries and we had an amazing day diving off the second level of the boat into the ocean and exploring little islands.

All the best, MJ

#6 - Thursday, 5 January 2017 | Hoffman Estates, Illinois

Another Thursday has dawned and I am still in Illinois. It wasn't part of the plan to blog only on Thursdays, but it seems that has been the story of the past three weeks. I had intended to post much more often, from much warmer and scenic climes. But, here I am, still driving a 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport AWD and still hoping for the phone call from Tom Peck Ford that will upgrade me to a shiny new white gold truck.

I've begun reading a book called AWOL on the Appalachian Trail (2010, David Miller). The "AT", as it is known among the thru-hiker community, and those who weren't fortunate enough to make its end and gain that title, begins atop Springer Mountain in Georgia and ends at the summit of Mount Katahdin in Maine. It is 2200 miles that takes most six months to cover averaging twelve miles per day. Only 20% or so who attempt the AT succeed. It is seldom a stroll on flat ground and has numerous vertical ascents as it crosses summits along the way that make it a greater distance. Maybe it will be my 2018 adventure. Regardless, the reading is only making me yearn to hit the road even more.

It's currently 9ºF here 25 miles west of Chicago, which is -15ºC for my friends from more progressive countries. In Homestead, Florida–the gateway to the Everglades and Keys–it is 72ºF/22ºC and going up to 83ºF/28ºF. You do the math. Yearning increased.

Today is the 5th and that means it is exactly seven months until my birthday. The significance of that is my desire to spend that anniversary in the pristine wilderness of Alaska's Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve. I've traveled in all 48 contiguous states, and only have Alaska and Hawaii remaining to see the entire U.S. I have a great deal of snake and spider hunting to do in the next seven months so each day I remain in winter conditions is a day less in the field. Alaska will be more about scenery and birds and mammals. The invertebrates will be savage mosquitoes and deer flies.

The delay of the arrival of my travel trailer has jumbled my itinerary. I had hoped to have over a month in Florida with both RV and truck before returning to Chicago to fly to Asia on February 8. Now my plan is to head to Florida in the truck within 24 hours of driving it off the lot, stopping in Atlanta for the first night along the way. I've been told the RV will come off the factory line on January 17. Guessing that it would be another week before it was delivered to the dealer and prepped, I am guessing that I'll have to leave southern Florida around the 23rd to head back here, pick up the RV and spend a day or two loading it and then I'll head back to Florida for a short time, store the RV near Tampa and return by the 7th to prepare for my two days worth of flights that will take me to Dubai, Kuala Lumpur and, finally, Kuching, Borneo. I'm arriving on my mate Mark's birthday and the first night in Borneo we are both getting traditional tribal hand-tapped tattoos. Mark already has eight or so and has no machine work on his body. I have about 80 hours worth of machine work on my arms and legs. This will be my first hand-tapped. After five days or so in Borneo, our entire group will be flying back to Kuala Lumpur on the Malaysian mainland to catch our short flight to Langkawi Island off the west coast, close to Thailand. The temperature there right now? Today's high will be 32ºC, which is 89ºF to Americans.

All the best, MJ