College football season is finally here! For the next three months, the Wandering Dawgs will be making the drive to Athens, Georgia to watch our University of Georgia Bulldogs play on Saturdays in Sanford Stadium.
Along with thousands of other UGA football fans and students, our favorite route to Athens is along Georgia Highway 15. One of the familiar sights of the trip is an old barn beside the highway in Tennile.
About eighteen years ago a message about Georgia Football had been painted on the sign for the first time. Ever since then, the message changes a few times during the year. Now whenever we travel that way we look forward to seeing what new message will be there.
Five years ago we were wandering around Alaska in our RV. As we traveled I was always on the lookout for wildlife and we saw plenty of it.
Along with the many land and sea animals, I enjoyed seeing the birds. The Bald Eagles were my favorite and there were more Bald Eagles than I’ve ever seen anywhere else. We saw them perched in trees, soaring overhead, and even in a nest in front of the Homer Post office. The most unusual sighting was seeing one fly right beside the truck as we drove along the Homer Spit. I was so busy watching him keep up with us that I didn’t get a chance to take his picture!
Bald Eagle on Ninilchik BeachBald Eagle at Chilcoot Lake State Park, Haines, AKBald Eagle at Chilcoot Lake State Park, Haines, AKBald Eagle in the Lynn Canal between Haines and JuneauBald Eagle in tree beside Eldred Rock Lighthouse in the Lynn CanalMama and Baby Eagles in HomerEagle soaring over bluff at Russian Orthadox Church in NinilchikWe spotted this pair of Bald Eagles as we cruised by on a wildlife and glacier cruise from Valdez
It’s summer in the Peach State and that means fresh, sweet, juicy Georgia peaches.
Peach season always reminds me of my Dad. After he retired from the Air Force in the 1970’s, he and my Mom moved to a farm in middle Georgia. In addition to their summer garden they had a small peach and apple orchard. When the peaches were ripe Dad would call and we would drive the 200 miles to their house to pick some peaches. I can still remember the sweetness of the peach and the sticky juice running down my hands as I stood in the orchard eating a peach that moments before still been had on the tree.
These days I have to be content with buying peaches at a local produce stand. On a recent road trip we stopped at James and the Giant Peach Stand in Ellabell for some fresh Georgia peaches. As soon as we arrived at home I tasted one and them and then made a fresh peach cobbler for dessert. Another night I blended up some Peach Daiquiris.
Georgia Peaches from Ellabell, Georgia
Peach Cobbler made with fresh Georgia peaches
Peach Daiquiri with fresh Georgia peaches
Another Georgia summer treat is the Vidalia Onion. The Vidalia Onion was named the Official State Vegetable of Georgia in 1990. They cannot be sold until the Georgia Ag Commissioner chooses a Pack date, usually in April. The season continues through August of each year. These sweet onions are only grown in a few South Georgia counties. Tomato and Vidalia onion pie is one of my favorite summer side dishes.
Vidalia Onions
It’s difficult to think anything but pleasant thoughts while eating a homegrown tomato – Lewis Grizard
The best tomatoes in the world are home grown tomatoes. If you grow your own, you know what I’m talking about. I’ve never been successful growing slicing tomatoes so I buy “Davis Killer Tomatoes” from my favorite produce stand, Davis Produce in Savannah. On a sweltering summer day there is nothing better for lunch than a tomato sandwich. Sliced bread (traditionally white bread but these days I use multi-grain or wheat), mayonnaise (preferably Dukes), and sliced tomatoes with salt and pepper. That’s it! Deliciousness!
Tomato Sandwich
A favorite southern summer snack is boiled peanuts. I love sitting around the table with friends and family, a cold drink and a bowl of boiled Georgia peanuts.
Boiled Peanuts
Georgia is known for other produce the rest of the year. Did you know that the state of Georgia is one of the top blueberry producing states in the country? I look forward every spring to blueberry season. As soon as they were ready this year I bought a flat from a friend’s sister who owns an organic blueberry farm.
Georgia grown blueberries
Are you hungry yet for some Georgia goodness? I’ve never shared a recipe on my blog before but here is my favorite cobbler recipe.
Easy Fruit Cobbler
1 stick unsalted butter (use real butter)
1 cup self rising flour
1 cup sugar
1 cup milk
3 – 5 peeled and sliced peaches or 1 container blueberries + 1 TB sugar
Preheat oven to 350. Place the fruit in a bowl and mix with the 1 TB sugar. Set aside.
Put the butter in a 9×9 inch square baking pan (I use metal but a glass pan will work). Place the pan in the oven to melt butter.
While butter is melting, in another bowl mix the flour, sugar, and milk. Batter will be thin and milky.
When butter is melted, remove from oven and pour in the batter. Spoon fruit over batter. Bake at 350 for 50 minutes to 1 hour. Serve with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream if desired.
For the first time in many years we took a vacation without our RV. Instead, motels and a condo were our home for the week.
We decided to break up our trip to Orlando and spend a night near a beach to take a drive along A1A. Flagler Beach sounded like a perfect place. It’s a small beach town on the Atlantic Ocean that still has that old Florida feeling. Driving down A1A the Atlantic Ocean is on one side of the road and beach houses and locally owned restaurants are on the other. Heaven! After a walk on the fishing pier we ate fish sandwiches with an ocean view at the Funky Pelican next to the pier.
Flagler Beach Fishing Pier
Our home for the rest of the week was a condo in a resort in Lake Buena Vista. We enjoyed the screened porch with a view of the fountain and pond.
Our home for the week
We had the condo to ourselves for the first three nights. We celebrated my birthday at Bongo’s, a Cuban restaurant at Disney Springs.
We started off with a mojito at the bar at Bongo’sBirthday Dinner at Bongo’s at Disney Springs
On Wednesday we picked up our two oldest grandchildren at the airport. After a long travel day they enjoyed a dip in one of the pools.
Pool at the resort
Going to Universal Studios to see the Harry Potter attractions was at the top of their wish list so the next morning we got up early to be at the park as soon as it opened.
Universal is made up of two separate theme parks with Harry Potter attractions in both parks. We purchased the park hopper tickets so we could ride the Hogwarts Express train between the parks. The train ride was fun and when we disembarked we were in The Islands of Adventure Park in Hogsmeade. We cooled off with a Butter Beer before riding any more rides.
The kids loved the two Harry Potter thrill rides. Henry liked the Escape from Gringotts. Our 14 year old grandson said the Forbidden Journey was his favorite. Our granddaughter liked them both. I’m not a fan of thrill rides. The train was more my style.
After our epic day at Universal we took it easy the next day. While it rained all afternoon we played some games and enjoyed hanging out with our grandkids.
One evening the kids enjoyed the pool while I enjoyed the evening sky.
Sunset at the pool
On our last day we put on our bathing suits and went to Blizzard Beach, one of the Disney water parks. We were able to enjoy a few rides before the afternoon thunderstorm came through. Just as predicted, at 1:00 the lightening was so close they closed all the rides.
The Summit Plummet at Disney’s Blizard Beach is on the right where the flags are.
One thing that is almost guaranteed if you travel to Orlando in late June is the daily thunderstorms. The only day we didn’t get rained on was the day we went to Universal. How lucky was that?
What a great week making memories with our two oldest grandkids!
Wandering Dawgs 