Roadrunner Financials – January 2013 February 8, 2013

Roadrunner Recap
After spending over a month in Key West, we headed north to Tampa for the big RV show.  We have always wanted to see that one.  We met our friends Tom and Cathy there so that was a bonus.  From Tampa, we did a build at Habitat for Humanity in Sebring Florida, then we finished off the month in Fort Myers with Tom, Cathy, Bonar and Christa.

Good News Areas We Are Under Budget
Once again, the biggest area for being under budget was in diesel fuel and gas where we came over $250 under budget.

Thankfully, we had no RV maintenance bills so we were almost $500 to the good there.

Biggest Expenses
We had a big month of campground fees because of our time in Gulf Waters RV resort.  That place cost us over $50 a night.  But it was worth it.  It is a very nice campground and we got to see good friends for eight days.

Cell phones/TV and Internet still run high but that is an expense we are willing to deal with.  Our groceries were above average and not really sure why…

Large One Time Cost Item
My largest one time expense this month was an upgrade to my two-year plus old iPhone.  I got an iPhone 5 and love it!

Monthly Average
Over all, we were a little over $800 under budget and that was good.  Our groceries since June 2012 (when we began year 4 of full-timing) have been running about $520.

Thanks for joining us on this edition of the Roadrunner Chronicles.  Until next time…

Randy Warner has posted an update to
http://www.warnerrvnews.blogspot.com

Eating Places in Key West January 6, 2013

We didn’t eat out a lot while in Key West but we did manage to go out a few times…

Last year we found Sandy’s Cafe.  They have FANTASTIC Cuban sandwiches.  And Cuban coffee.

Downtown off Mallory Square we had lunch here one day.  It was OK.  Not too memorable, not sure even what I had.

Our Christmas Lights Tour on the Conch Train took us right by El Siboney.  We asked around and it had very high recommendations.

 The meals were outstanding!  And the prices were surprisingly reasonable.

The day before we left Key West we went to the Rooftop Cafe on Mallory Square.  Pam had blacked a Mahi Mahi fish sandwich and I had the special which included Conch fritters, a Cuban sandwich and Key Lime pie.  It was all very good.

Our last meal in Key West was spent with Marg and George at Hogfish Grille on Stock Island.

I had fried Yellow Tail and Pam had the shrimp Caesar Salad.  They were great.  It was a bit pricey but it was a restaurant we heard about last year and were glad we went.

There are a whole lot of other places to eat in Key West, these were just the one’s we tried out this time.

Hope you all are having a great New Year.  Thanks for joining us on the Roadrunner Chronicles!  Until next time…

Randy Warner has posted an update to
http://www.warnerrvnews.blogspot.com

Fishing in Key West January 4, 2013

We don’t fish much but it seemed like the right thing to do.  We got some advice from the lady at the campground check-in desk who said, “My husband always takes the Tortuga IV and likes them.”
Since we didn’t have any better tip, we took that one.

Jon and Kelly were here for Christmas and we picked Monday to go out on the boat.  Jon called and found we could just line up at the dock and buy our tickets.

After we got some Cuban coffee.

 The ship mates were cutting up bait which Jon and Kelly were looking around the boat.

We claimed a spot off the stern and put our tickets onto a fishing rod.

 As we left the harbor, you could see a couple of cruise ships docked at Mallory Square.

Then we talked with our neighbors and had our picture taken.

We went out for about an hour and stopped at our first area.  It wasn’t too long before Jon caught one!

I tried to hold it while Jon took the hook out.  Kelly wasn’t too sure she wanted anything to do with it…

Then I caught a grouper.  It was the biggest fish I’ve ever caught.  But at 14″, it was a full 6″ too small, so it went back into the Straits for Florida.

A little later and Kelly hauled in a Yellow Tail Snapper.

And so did Jon.

They sure are pretty fish.  This little guy was too small so he went back in the water too.

We fished for about 2 1/2 hours and it took us about an hour to get out to our first spot.  Then we moved around a couple more times.  We got 7 or 8 keepers of yellow tail snapper, grunt fish, mackerel and a porkie.

So it was a good day.  The weather started out a little cool but it was only cloudy for a little while.  And we all had a good time.  We didn’t get skunked, we caught some nice fish and no one threw up.  Yep, that is the first thing I think about when we talk about going out on a boat.  We weren’t deep sea fishing, but we had enough waves to get a couple of guys on board looking a little puny.  But I took some Dramamine and it work.

The trip was a little less than four hours and at a great price ($44/each) so it was well worth it.

 After we got back to our slip, we waited for our fish to get cleaned.  And we weren’t the only ones.

It took about 20 minutes and we were on our way with a mess of fish for dinner.

I cooked them on the grill and we had a nice meal together.

So that was our first and only fishing trip in Key West.  We had a great time!

That’s it for this edition of the Roadrunner Chronicles ~ thanks for joining us!

Until next time…

Randy Warner has posted an update to
http://www.warnerrvnews.blogspot.com

What We’ve Been Doing December 21, 2012

The last few days have been casual, slow going days here.  Kind of like Key West ish…. my kind of days.

We usually keep an eye on the ‘list’.  The list has everyone in full hookups and in overflow.  Right now we have about 90 in full hookups and about 50 in dry camping/overflow.  We get to stay 14 days in full hookups (sever, water and 50 amp).  Once our 14 days are up we move from the full hookups to the overflow list.  As people rotate out of full hookups, the top 4 or 5 from overflow take their place.

We’ve been getting our Christmas shopping done.  Key West has no WalMart but they do have a K Mart and a Sears.  And we can shop online.  We got a temporary mail box here on base and getting packages has been no problem.

Wrapping packages.  We have a few packages for Christmas and have them all wrapped up.  I usually wait until the very last minute and never quite find all of them.  (I can hide things well when I put my mind to it.)  Then a present or two shows up in May or September and we have another Christmas present to open!

Sightseeing.  Some days we wonder around downtown, get some coffee and watch people come and go off the cruise ships that stop 3 or 4 days a week.  We also have checked out a few t-shirt and souvenir shops. And we have ridden the Old Town Trolley around the island a few times.

Bike rides.  I have ridden my bike around the island about half a dozen times.  It is about 12+ miles and a perfect ride for me.  I love it and it is one of my favorite rides anywhere.  I go from the base, by the wharf, Mallory Square, Southernmost Point, Higgs Beach, Smathers Beach, the airport, A1A, and back to the base.  Takes me about 90 minutes on a leisurely pace.

Work.  Yes – I have mentioned this alot, but I so appreciate the fact that I can do some ‘work for pay’ work 30+ hours a month.  A few hundred bucks a month helps.  It you are retired on a fixed income, you know what I mean.

Work out.  We love to go to the base Fitness Center at Boca Chica NAS.  It has great equipment including spinning cycles, weight stations and a gym.  Unfortunately, it is now closed about 10 days for repairs.

Meeting folks.  We’ve met quite a few of our neighbors as we have moved from ‘the Rockpile’, to overflow and are now in our ‘Hollywood’ camp site.  We have probably met and talked with a dozen people since we have been here.  No doubt about it – everyone has a story.

Cleaning the Roadrunner.  With guests arriving (Kelly and Jonathan) we have been cleaning.  My favorite is the outside so, I have cleaned it (with water only) and polished the aluminum wheels.  Today’s task is to polish the whole cherrywood interior.

We still have yet to go out to dinner and see the sunset at Mallory Square.  But later on today, Kelly and Jonathan arrive and we figure we will do a number of touristy things and eat out a few times.

So – as Christmas approaches, I hope you and yours are enjoying time with family and friends.

Thanks for joining us on the Roadrunner Chronicles.  Until next time…

Randy Warner has posted an update to
http://www.warnerrvnews.blogspot.com

Christmas Lights in Key West December 19, 2012

On Friday night, we took the Conch Train ride through neighborhoods in Key West to see Christmas Lights.  It was a fun evening.

We had six trains that held up to 64 people.  Quite a group.

Seems as if the lead driver knew where all the well-decorated houses were.

We had a great speaker system to all the coaches and could hear 15 different songs that got everyone into the spirit of things.

Nothing like singing along on, ‘Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire’ with Nat King Cole at Christmas in Key West!

Our driver Laurie got into it too.  It was great!  She was adding some percussion to ‘Feliz Navidad’.

Some of these homes were really decked out.

And quite a number of people came out to see us and shout, “Merry Christmas!”

The tour lasted about 90 minutes and it was time to head back.

It was a memorable evening and a fun way to sing some Christmas songs.

That is all for this edition of the Roadrunner Chronicles.  Thanks for joining us!

Randy Warner has posted an update to
http://www.warnerrvnews.blogspot.com

New Campsite December 13, 2012

We have been in Key West for two weeks now and are staying at the Campground at Sigsbee Naval Station near mile marker three.  The ‘campground’ is really four areas where campers can stay.

One area is at Trumbo Point that is closer to downtown but has no hookups.  It has a dump station and water.  The other three areas are on Sigsbee and are affectionately known as ‘The Rock Pile’, ‘Hollywood’ and ‘The Circle’.  All three have full hook ups which means 50 amp electric, sewer and water.  There are full hook up 89 sites.

When we arrived, there was no waiting list so we were able to move right into full hookups.  All sites are assigned and we got #12 on ‘The Rockpile’.  It was back on the third row from the water, a bit cramped but adequate, for $23/night.

The day before our 14th day at #12, we got a notice stapled to our door handle that we were to move to site #430 over near the Circle and on the water.

Much better!  We are dry camping, but don’t mind at all.  For $13/night it has a view that is hard to beat.  We will be here for about 8-10 days and then cycle back into full hookups.

After we got all set up, I went for a bike ride.  I love it here in Key West because I can ride my bike, get some exercise and see some interesting sights.

I have an account on MapMyRides.com which has an iPhone app.  I record my rides and it creates a map of where I have been.

After that, we decided to set up our generator exhaust pipe for when we run the generator.  We bought a Camco Gen-Turi a while back with just this kind of situation in mind.

It wasn’t too hard to figure out and after a while we had it installed.

It works like a champ and we no longer have to close windows when we have the generator running.  Plus, if we have neighbors close by, they will appreciate it too.

The rest of the day we hung around the campsite and talked with neighbors a while.  During the day Marg and George took the campsite next to us and that was a pleasant surprise.  We were parked next to them last year a few spots over.

Things have changed a little for them.  They took their Allegro Bus to Alaska during the summer and them drove back to LazyDays in Tampa to buy a new Winnebago Tour 43′.  Nice wheels.

After some barbecue chicken on the grill and a little TV, we called it a day.

Thanks for joining us on this edition of the Roadrunner Chronicles!  Until next time…

Randy Warner has posted an update to
http://www.warnerrvnews.blogspot.com

Things to do in Key West! December 9, 2012

Yes – we are back in Key West for a few weeks.  I love this place!  Why?-you ask…

Because of there is so much to do and see.  And because of the:

• Weather – even though it has rained 4 or 5 days in the last week, it is warm and we have had our share of sun!            

Right now it is sunny and 81 degrees.

• Sunsets – this is the view from our campsite

• Habitat for Humanity – we hooked up the group again this year and joined them in a ‘Brush With Kindness’ effort in old town.  We stained floorboards for the wrap around porch.

• Sloppy Joe’s – popular tavern frequented by the regular and the famous, including Ernest Hemingway in the 1930’s

• Capt Tony’s Saloon – where Sloppy Joe’s was until they moved down the street.

• The Audubon House was a real surprise.  Very interesting display of his ‘Birds of the Florida Keys’.  My favorite is the Roseate Spoonbill.

• The closest flea market is down in Big Pine Key, about 30 miles from KW.

• We love the Old Town Trolley Tour – it goes around the entire island and tickets are good for two days.  While we were waiting to catch it, we struck up a conversation with Andy, who just happens to be VP of Marketing and Sales.  And he extended our tickets for a week!

On that happy note, I think we will wrap it up for this edition of the Roadrunner Chronicles!  Thank you so much for joining us.  

As always, comments are always welcome!  Until next time…

Randy Warner has posted an update to
http://www.warnerrvnews.blogspot.com

What I like about Key West February 5, 2012

There are a lot of reasons that make Key West one of our favorite places in our almost 3-year full-time adventure:

1. The warm weather/sun.  It is usually warm down here in the winter time but this year it has been above average.
2. The water.  Love having the RV parked 20 feet the water (Gulf of Mexico side) most of the last six weeks.  
3. Interesting town with a lot of history.  We learned a lot about Key West in the early days and about famous people who have been associated with Key West.  Jimmy Buffet, Robert Frost, Thomas Edison, Zachary Taylor, Ernest Hemingway, Harry Truman…
4. Hemingway House.  This was one of my all-time favorite tours of a residence.  I lover the upstairs outside balcony with the balmy breezes.
5. Truman Little White House.  Pretty cool to see where some important decision were made in his presidency.  Reminded me a little of the Gen Eisenhower home in Gettysburg.
6. Bike riding.  Never been anywhere with more local and rental bikes.  Lots of bike paths and the roads are scooter and bike friendly.  Loved taking the 13.0 mile loop around the island in the early morning.
7. Boondocking at Sigsbee U.S. Navy Campground (Military).  Over 200 spaces for boon dockers and 88 full hook ups which we rotate into for two weeks.  
8. Sunsets.  Lots of them here.  And sunrises too.
9. Sunset Celebration.  Every night seems like there is something going on at Mallory Square.
10. Mallory Square.  Talk about a great place to people watch!
11. Harbour Walk.  Great place to meander in the early evening.  Can’t beat the 1/2 price on drinks and appetizers which are a meal in themselves.
12. Boca Chica Marina and Beach – Key West Naval Air Station.  The base has more activity than one would expect.  We liked the waterfront/marina.  Can’t beach watching F-18’s and F-5’s and other aircraft coming in for landings.
13. The Keys.  Nice drive to see some sights.  Key West is a bit isolated but we had plenty of day trips along the keys.
14. Small town atmosphere.  Key West has only about 25,000.  No Wal-Mart and only two Starbucks that I could find.
15. Walking.  Lots of things to walk around and see.  One can walk the whole downtown area and see lots of shops and people.
16. Restaurants/Cafes.  Breakfasts and Happy Hour (4-6 PM) are very reasonable.  Dinner and the rest is a little more but not too bad.  
17. Cuban sandwiches, stone crab, mahi-mahi and shrimp, Cuban coffee…
18. Gardens, parks and museums.  More of them here than one would expect.
19. Habitat for Humanity (Key West and Lower Keys).  We got to spend a couple of Saturdays working on a house with their Brush with Kindness group and it was a lot of fun.
20. Roosters.  See previous post.
21. Flea Market.  The flea market at Big Pine is worth going to.  Only about 30 miles up the Keys and not near Key Deer reserve and No-Name Bar which has great pizza.
22. Friends.  We have gotten together with some great friends here old and new:  Marge and Bill (full-timers whom we met the first few days here); Jim and Betty (Habitat for Humanity friends from our time last summer in South Dakota); and Kirk and Susan (good friends who flew in from Oklahoma City and spent 4 days with us)

That is all today on the Roadrunner Chronicles.  We move on toward Fort Meyers Tuesday morning.  Thanks VERY much for joining us!  Until next time…

Randy Warner has posted an update to
http://www.warnerrvnews.blogspot.com

Key West Roosters February 1, 2012

One of the interesting things of Key West is that there are lots of roosters and chickens running around the island.  It is part of the history and culture and quite unique.  They seem to mind there own business and go where ever they want.  And they all over the city.

Apparently these chickens have been on the island over 150 years.  And their numbers grew in the 1950’s when the Cuban population in Key West was at its highest.  Among other things, the roosters were bred for cockfighting but that was outlawed in the 1970’s.

The chickens now roam the island freely and are good for a double take or a picture…

On the fence

 Plus a hen and her chicks

More chicks

Struttin

Under the house

Here are some in the bushes

Look at those colors!

Three in the bush..

Roosters are one of the many colorful attractions here in Key West.  We have been here over six weeks and have another week to go before it will be time to move on. 

Thanks for joining us today on the Roadrunner Chronicles!  Until next time…

Randy Warner has posted an update to
http://www.warnerrvnews.blogspot.com

Some Key West Eatery’s January 23, 2012

Key West (and the Lower Keys) has some great places to eat.  When Adam and Kelly were here with us over Christmas, we had to find a vegan restaurant and ended up at the Old Town Mexican Cafe on Duval Street.

As we would expect, it was a little different than the Mexican food of New Mexico. It was not spectacular still good.

One morning we went downtown early to get our picture taken at the Southernmost Point buoy/marker.

Around the corner we found the Southernmost Beach Cafe and had breakfast.  We will be going there again.  The prices and food were surprisingly good and the view on the beach in the morning was great!

One place I knew we had to go while in Key West was Jimmy Buffet’s Margaritaville Restaurant and Store.  It is also on Duval Street.

The food here was also good and the prices were not bad here either.  (They make up for it in the Margaritaville Store with the T-Shirts though…)  They were a little pricey.

After our first Sunset Celebration on Mallory Square with Marge and George, they took us to Kelly’s on Whitehead Street.  At one time this place was owned by Kelly McGillis of Tom Cruise and Top Gun fame.

We got a table on the lighted back patio yard and the atmosphere was great!  And the seafood sampler was even better!

Down the keys at Key Big Pine (40 miles away from Key West) we went to the No Name Saloon and Bar after we visited the Sunday Flea Market.  We had heard about this interesting place from George and Marge.

It has a reputation for great pizza.  We settled on ‘Nachos for Two’ which was fine.  It the cuisine is mostly bar food.  The real draw is the reputation and history of the place.

Another great area in Key West known for good appetizers and bar food is Alonzo’s Oyster Bar on the Harbor Walk.  Our table on the waterfront was right behind where the guy is standing with the shoulder bag.  A&B (Alonzo and Berlin) owned the place at one time.  B (Berlin’s) is upstairs and offers a more formal dinner setting.

This place has great seafood and during happy hour (4-6 PM) drinks and a lot of food is 1/2 price!  The shrimp and the oysters did not disappoint!

Key West has a lot of great places to eat and we will no doubt check out a few more.

What are some places you’d recommend?

That is it for this edition of the Roadrunner Chronicles.  Thanks for joining us!  And thanks to the many new ‘blogger friends’ that have signed up – we appreciate you all and especially those that leave comments.  Those are always fun!

Until next time…

Randy Warner has posted an update to
http://www.warnerrvnews.blogspot.com