I asked her to marry me, and like a crazy person she said yes.  That was 38 years ago.  I asked the big question the day after she said she liked to mow the lawn.  Right.

We have known each other since first grade, but we didn’t associate or meet up until our 15^th high school reunion.  Karen would have you think she was in the “good girls” group in high school; you can guess which group she put me in.

I bought her a diamond ring that honestly, you’d need a jeweler’s loupe to find the diamond.  I told her it looked bigger in the showcase.

This anniversary is different than most of the rest because we remembered this one!  Typically, neither one of us remembers our anniversary, which in its’ own sick way is fortunate.  That way, no one lords it over the other – our own mutual destruction pact.

Was this really an anniversary trip or self-survival?  This winter was a beast from a weather perspective, and Karen said if she didn’t get somewhere warm, she was going to hurt someone.  I looked around; I was the only one here.  I surmised the violence was to be visited on me, so we headed south to Florida.

Our first stop was a campground just over the Pennsylvania border.  The campground was an ugly, gravel lot on a river floodplain, next to the highway, dotted with stanchions providing electric, water and sewerage.  It reminded me of an ugly, gravel lot on a river floodplain, next to the highway, dotted with stanchions providing electric, water and sewerage.  Lovely.  But it served our purposes.

Of course, we also spent a night in a Cracker Barrel parking lot – a step above the gravel campground.  I mean, this is our anniversary, right?  Do the right thing.  Live life like it’s your last day.

Ultimately, we made it to Georgia, to McKinney Campground at Red Top Mountain and Lake Allatoona, and our stomping grounds in Marietta, GA to visit our old neighborhood and connect with friends.  So great – so many smiles.

No trip to Florida is complete without a stop at Carroll’s Sausage in Ashburn. GA (home of the Red Ant Festival – you can’t make this up).  You may detect a theme here, but we overnighted in their parking lot/campground, perhaps 50 yards from I-75.  And a big peanut.

We continued on into Florida and spent several weeks camping, from the Withlacoochee State Forest, Fort De Soto County Park, a bunch of days in Dunedin close to the Pinellas Trail bike path, another private campground in Cortez, Honeymoon Island, and a bunch of days in the James Island County Park before setting our sights north to see our daughter in Washington, DC.

From Fort de Soto…

From other Florida locations…

Indicating a clear sign towards dementia, Karen volunteered to go pick strawberries at a farm.  You know, the kind of place that have signs saying U Pick, like that is what I would possibly want to do.  I say YOU Pick, I Pay.

In Dunedin, we did some great biking on the Pinellas Trail.  One night neither one of us felt like cooking so we got pizza from a place less than a mile away – Corvo Bianco.  Can I get an amen?  The food here was unbelievable – I mean crazy good!

And if BBQ is more your thing in Dunedin (Palm Harbor technically), definitely go to the Reel BBQ food truck if they are open – situated next to a brewery (De Bine Brewing) and right on the bike trail.

While staying in Cortez (think Bradenton), we visited the Robinson Preserve, which is a strikingly beautiful coastal preserve to take a hike and enjoy nature.

Having pointed ourselves north, we camped at the James Island County Park in Charleston, SC, and got to enjoy a little cajun action with the Lowcountry Cajun Festival.  Did someone say crawfish??  Pinch the tail, suck the head.  Music, food, beautiful weather, good times.  This county park is extraordinarily well maintained with hiking and biking trails – just a wonderful park.

Continuing this anniversarial wonderland, time to head north and see Child Unit 1 in DC.  While always fantastic to see your kids, this was particularly nice because it had been a while since we had seen her, we got to see her new living quarters (very nice!), and she made dinner reservations for us at Rose’s Luxury, an absolute destination restaurant in DC.

We are back now in New Hampshire, having warmed up, avoided physical harm, shared many laughs, and celebrated another year in bliss.  To many more!  Smooch