A1a Marathon and Colorful Little Havana

February 22, 2022 / marniesteve / 1 Comment

This weekend we made a stop in the Fort Lauderdale/Miami area so that Steve could rack up his Florida marathon. While camping at one of the worst KOAs on earth, we did a little exploration, a little shopping, and enjoyed the nice warm weather that south Florida offers up in February.

First, the KOA. We regularly stay at KOA campgrounds when another option isn’t available. In the Miami area there are very few options for RVs, so we jumped on booking this one so that we could easily get to the race. Unfortunately the place was a dump.

What was once, a long time ago, maybe a decent place was decrepit and crowded, littered with ramshackle trailers and a dried up pond. Every time we took a walk we found more reasons why this park didn’t deserve to be under the KOA umbrella. We’ll be writing some reviews. Still, we met some nice people here, and it’s kind of par for the course when you travel via RV. Win some, lose some.

The real draw to this large metro area was the Publix A1a Marathon, which ran alongside the beach in Ft. Lauderdale.

Steve ran the 26.2 miles in just over four hours, and I completed the accompanying 6K (just under four miles) race. It was a beautiful morning punctuated by a sunrise over the Atlantic, a flat course, and relatively cool and breezy weather.

As you may recall, Steve’s goal is to complete a marathon (or more) in every state. This was state number 23 and his 33rd marathon overall. It was a great way to knock Florida off the list.

While in this area we also signed up for a tour of Little Havana, a distinct cultural neighborhood in Miami. Since we’d been to Cuba in 2019 we have an interest in the history, culture, and political evolution of this nearby island.

Roosters symbolize strength and power in Cuba.

Our tour guide Danny has lived in Little Havana most of his life and easily rattled off significant historical events that brought Cubans to the United States and to this region of south Florida. He told us about the political, economic, and social factors that have influenced US/Cuban relations and gave us a great history lesson on the Bay of Pigs Invasion.

In contrast to our visit to Cuba, where Fidel Castro’s picture is often displayed in restaurants and businesses, Little Havana is blatant about its hatred for the communist regime, even expressing that hatred in the name of an ice cream flavor (chocolate with cayenne pepper).

Communism is responsible for more than 100 million deaths.

The perspective in Little Havana, established by Cuban exiles who have suffered under the Castros, is clearly on the side of freedom.

After Danny showed us the serious part of the district, he introduced us to all that is great about Cuban food. On our walking tour we tried pressed sugar cane juice, Cuban coffee, churros, Cuban ice cream, and then enjoyed a traditional Cuban lunch. If you get to Miami and are looking for an activity where you learn while you eat, this colorful tour is for you!

Tribute to the Bay of Pigs regimen #2506 at the frutería

Since our time in the Ft Lauderdale area was short, there’s so much more we need to see and do. At least we know that the next time we visit we won’t be bored (and we won’t stay at the KOA!)

Fayetteville is My Favorite ‘Ville’

November 1, 2021November 10, 2021 / marniesteve / Leave a comment

Fayetteville is very cool! Our primary draw to this area was to attend the US Trail Running Conference and participate in the Spartan Trail US championship races. But there’s so much more.

We camped at a new campground, Hog Valley RV & Treehouse Resort, just 10 minutes from downtown Fayetteville, which gave us easy access to the University of Arkansas, a great downtown area, and Kessler Mountain Regional Park, which is well known for its hiking and biking trails. Kessler Mountain Park is where we started.

We hadn’t been here an hour before we set out on the trails to explore where our races would be held the following weekend. The fall colors made for a spectacular hike. And check out those bike trails! We are certainly not in Prescott anymore!

We had a few good days during the week in which to explore Fayetteville, and we took in some live music at George’s Majestic Lounge, which seems to be the place in town. In the process we discovered a great new band, The Arcadian Wild. Check them out!

Then the rain began. It rained and blew and turned cold for three days. We enjoyed one day in the trailer just listening to the rain, reading, and hanging out.

By the second day we were ready to explore. Despite the weather we headed up to Bentonville where we visited last year. Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art is one of the most incredible art museums we’ve ever seen, and a rainy day was the perfect invitation to explore it again.

Luckily, the bad weather cleared for the weekend and our race activities. On Saturday we attended a conference for trail runners, which provided us with some new perspectives about the sport.

The big event was Sunday morning which greeted us with clear skies and cool but tolerable weather. I ran the 10K and while I wasn’t fast, I wasn’t last. It feels good to be able to take on challenges like this again after two foot surgeries last year.

Steve took on the challenge of the 50K, which is about 31 miles of running on trails. He’s done one race like this before, the Whiskey Basin Trail Run in Prescott which is 54 miles.

Still, the Arkansas hills, with many rocks, roots, and wet leaves proved to be a challenging event. He finished the course in about 7 1/2 hours and only suffered a skinned knee and some sore muscles. Now Arkansas is counted as another state where he’s finished a marathon or more. Only 27 more states to go! Next up is a marathon in Florida in a few weeks!

A Season of Family and Friends – Midwest Style

October 25, 2021 / marniesteve / 3 Comments

We’re back out on the road with the RV and the dogs and we’ve got six months of travel ahead of us. We hope you’ll follow along and keep in touch. Hey, if you are going to be in our area, let’s connect!

Our itinerary will take us to the Midwest to spend time with family in Nebraska, Iowa, and Kansas City. Then we’ll head south to Fayetteville, AR for a trail running event. From there we’ll hit Vickburg and Natchez on the Great River Road before settling down for awhile in Gulf Shores, AL and Pensacola, FL. After another marathon on Florida’s Space Coast we’ll hang out in the Keys for the months of December and January. Eventually we’ll head north with stops in Tampa, Fort Lauderdale, Ocala, and St. Augustine before finishing our trip with the celebration of St. Patrick’s Day in Savannah. After that, who knows?

Steve left home with the dogs and the trailer at the end of September, spending a few days in Colorado with Sam and Russ. When these three guys get together it’s always fun!

From there Steve headed to Nebraska and moochdocked for two weeks at his brother Brian’s house in Elkhorn, NE. In what’s become an annual event, Steve helped around the house, attended Lydia and Nathan’s games and practices, and attended two Cornhusker football games.

By the time I got there, Bob was a full-fledged Husker, well taken care of by our niece Lydia!

While we love hanging out with the Greens, it was time to move along, eastward to Des Moines. The Des Moines marathon was Steve’s 21st state and 30th marathon. What made it even more special was that he was joined by high school buddy Kent Ferris. These guys ran cross country together in high school, so it was like old times. I ran the 5K and then took care of the pups while the boys covered their 26.2 miles on a beautiful fall day.

Also while in the Des Moines area we connected with our friends and Prescott neighbors, Jackie and Dan (and Smeagol). They live in nearby Polk City and showed us the beauty of their midwest home. We explored the Saylorville Lake area, had yummy Mexican food, and finished up with pie back at their house. Thanks, Jack and Diane, for a fun day!

On an extra day in the Des Moines area we drove to the town of Winterset to check out the famed Bridges of Madison County. You probably know about these covered bridges from the 1995 movie of the same name starring Clint Eastwood and Meryl Streep. At one time this area had the largest collection of covered bridges west of the Mississippi. Now, the six bridges that are still standing are a draw to this pretty area, made even more beautiful in its fall colors.

From there we headed south to Maryville, MO to pay a visit to our niece Elise. She is a busy sophomore at Northwest Missouri State but found a little time to hang out with her aunt and uncle and introduce us to a few of her fun friends. Thanks Elise!

Our next stop was Kansas City for a few days with Gary, Kristy, Hudson, and Brynn (and the dogs Ruby and Nellie). We always enjoy our time with these guys and especially love the home-cooking offered by Kristy. Mia and Bob barely hit the ground and Brynn and Hudson took extra special care of them. We even got to help celebrate Hudson’s 11th birthday while there. Happy Birthday big guy!

Our final midwestern stop was for Steve’s aunt Sandy and uncle Jerry’s Celebration of Life in Prescott, IA. Sandy and Jerry passed just five days apart last month after 65 years of marriage. Their five girls and the large Freshour family are a testament to their love and commitment.

Attending the service was an honor and the celebration that followed would have made them proud. Steve’s entire family, including Mom, Dad, and brothers Brian and Gary were in attendance, along with Brynn, who was a great dog sitter. Connecting with the cousins from near and far was a great bonus. Thanks to cousin Linda for hosting us in our trailer on her property.

We’re heading south now, away from the impending winter and towards warmer weather (we hope)! We’ll have another update in a week or so. As always, we love reading your comments.

Marnie and Steve Travel

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marathon

A1a Marathon and Colorful Little Havana

Fayetteville is My Favorite ‘Ville’

A Season of Family and Friends – Midwest Style