The next few installments I will spend looking back at the trip, and showing off some photos of same.
Day 1....Off I Go!
I, should in retrospect, be pleased with the final results of the trip...starting out on Wednesday, October 9th, I weighed myself, and came in at 190.4...this morning I am 187 straight out...so, despite the beers and good food, my calorie intake, and especially carb intake was at a level, along with plenty of hot weather walking, my 70 year old ass had lost a few pounds...and now, only 12 to go to get back to 175, a level I have not been at since around 1984...we will see if I can continue to slowly lose during the coming Holiday Season.
I left Celina at 9:30 knowing I needed to not be in Naples until sometime Saturday the 12th, to get my instructions from their departure for Denmark from Ft. Lauderdale on Sunday the 13th...so I had plenty of time, and by plan or not, I took it...driving a Jeep Wrangler 3500 miles over a 20 day trip will take it out of anybody, let alone someone "getting long in the tooth".
I took US 127 out of my place for the first few hours, before finally get on I-75 just north of Cincinnati...I did not know how long I was going to stay on the "back routes" but once on 75, I was pretty much done, until northern Florida, where I would cut west towards Homosassa, where I would deposit 1/3rd of my late brother Mike's ashes at his old stomping grounds at the Manatee Pub on the river. The other portions would be set free at the Venice Jetties where we fished a lot as kids growing up in Venice and South Venice, Florida, on the Gulf....the rest of Mike at the Sister and Brother-in-Law's place on the Naples Harbor, off their dock on the channel...he spent much of his last winters there fishing and having a drink or 3 on that dock.
First day I got as far as Athens, Tennessee, located on I-75 between Knoxville and Chattanooga...I got a way to expensive room at the Hampton Inn, and went across the street to grab a bite a Ruby Tuesdays...one of the few "Dining Out" Meals I would enjoy....when your brother in law is a world class chef, and leaves you plenty of steaks and seafood to enjoy while cooking over the grill on their Bar/Lanai area on the water, why would you dine out and pay money?
When I left Ruby's I crossed back to the motel lot and started to pull a few more items out to take to the room, I caught a glimpse of a leak on the right rear passenger side tire...Damn! Here I was less than 10 hours and 435 miles and here was my first Jeep "Issue" …. time to contact an old friend, who knows much about vehicles....more on that later.
So Day #1 was in the Books....not the worst, but the leak had me somewhat concerned, I didn't need a long delay to solve that, but NO delay was what I really wanted....and it turned out to be that case...
Up Next Day #2 on to Florida....
Top Photo...the Wrangler sitting at the Hampton Inn in Athens, Tennessee....leak not visible...turned out to be a Axle Seal Leak, ended up replacing both right and left while in Naples...2nd photo, the Jeep sitting in the Drive, as I prepare it and me for the 3 week adventure/working {well not really working} trip...
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