Road Trip! Me, River, Skye and the Big Yellow Van

[Cort]

An ME friend tells me I'm lucky I can still travel - doesnt feel lucky when you sit in a car when your family are talking a walk you can no longer manage. But I'm also off to see the Rockies this year - did Vancouver Island one September to see brown and black bears. Have to do what you can.

Couldnt camp, my bank wouldnt like it - but I do think air conditioning is bad and being out in fresh air good. I find some places better than other - on Rhodes (that's Greece, btw) I felt almost well for the first week and even walked up some (low) hills. That might be a trip too far for you though.

Cows dont like dogs, especially when the cows have young. I'm surprised you havent had trouble with them before.

I hear you. Only pitifully short walks for me. When I started this I had this hope that may be being out in clean, beautiful nature would somehow transport me back to health. That didn't turn out at all! Just being out here has its own rewards though.

My partner visited Greece when she was well - she loves it. Maybe some day. Maybe that dry clean air was good for you....

Glad you are seeing the Rockies

 

[Cort]

Love reading this and seeing the pics. As well as appreciating you, I'm a camper (well not anymore) and a dog lover. I'll be tuning in. Kate <3

Glad you're coming along. As far as I'm concerned River and Skye are the stars of the show

 

[Cort]

I had no idea you were doing this, Cort, but am fascinated with your adventurous spirit, and I love that River and Skye are your traveling companions. I look forward to future posts and sharing your experiences along the journey. Never thought I'd have the opportunity to "see" the country again but grateful to be able to do so through your travels.

Lots of country to see. Glad you'll be coming along...

 

[Veronique]

What a total treat to meet your four legged buddies and see where you're traveling and living and exploring Cort! So glad you are able to do this. I grew up in Santa Fe, NM my first 7 years or so and travelled and camped in many of the places you mentioned. 25 years ago I criss crossed the country and drove down from Montreal (grew up in Quebec City after Santa Fe) through wonderful camping spot on a lake in PA and on down to LA, FL then back across through LA to Tx and up to CO. If you come to the Boulder area it would be wonderful to meet if you were ever up for that!! Happy camping and East coast visiting!!

I'm looking forward to following your travels and pics.

 

[JWest]

In the Pacific Northwest I could feel some congestion in my chest I imagine because of mold and the really dense, dense vegetation.

Otherwise not at all. Kind of surprising....Can't say anyone place effects me more than the others.

I'm curious if you have ever tried the Erik Johnson/Lisa Petrison style of mold avoidance? (where as you probably know you leave you belongings behind for a week or two to see if perhaps they are contaminated with toxins that are contributing to you symptoms. I only ask because according to the theory someone who was still carrying around contaminated belongings probably wouldn't notice much of a location difference). I know you've posted stories about mold issues, and probably commented on it yourself somewhere, but I can't remember what you said.

 

[Cort]

What a total treat to meet your four legged buddies and see where you're traveling and living and exploring Cort! So glad you are able to do this. I grew up in Santa Fe, NM my first 7 years or so and travelled and camped in many of the places you mentioned. 25 years ago I criss crossed the country and drove down from Montreal (grew up in Quebec City after Santa Fe) through wonderful camping spot on a lake in PA and on down to LA, FL then back across through LA to Tx and up to CO. If you come to the Boulder area it would be wonderful to meet if you were ever up for that!! Happy camping and East coast visiting!!

I'm looking forward to following your travels and pics.

Great road trip Veronique. I actually considered driving to Montreal for the conference and then heading down but went for the Vegas to Florida connection - a bit less driving. I hope we can meet up in Boulder

 

[Cort]

I'm curious if you have ever tried the Erik Johnson/Lisa Petrison style of mold avoidance? (where as you probably know you leave you belongings behind for a week or two to see if perhaps they are contaminated with toxins that are contributing to you symptoms. I only ask because according to the theory someone who was still carrying around contaminated belongings probably wouldn't notice much of a location difference). I know you've posted stories about mold issues, and probably commented on it yourself somewhere, but I can't remember what you said.

Haven't tried that yet. I've been on the road for quite a while so I've been away from moldy houses for a long time but I've never tried the replace the belongings regimen.

 

[Merida]

Great! Travel has always nourished my soul. Planning to visit the Great Medicine Wheel in the Big Horn Mountains - husband drives, thank goodness. The ants - imported red fire ants! Just ran into a colony here in So. Calif. at a local park! Have a great trip!

 

[Cort]

Outside of Alexandria, Lousiana we abandoned free campsites and took off on our own traveling down a small forest service road to a clearing in a loblolly pine forest on sandier soils. A Forest Ranger stopped by - a rarity in my experience - and told me that mosquito's were present almost all year round and that mosquito transmitted diseases were rare

It was hot and humid but manageable in the shade. On a short walk we came across what looked like an abandoned viewing box for a hunter or maybe some research study although I couldn't imagine sitting in that thing in that heat. Another one was not 50 yards away

 

[Cort]

We've been travelling slowly but surely letting Alberto clear itself out ahead of it. Thank god it didn't hit five days later or we'd be driving through it.

It was into Mississipi and camping in a National Forest outside of Natchez. It's quite buggy here - not that many mosquito's but lots of flies. The forest was nice and open though - a rarity so far in the south.

Going from Texas to Louisiana and Mississippi you can clearly see the differences in wealth in the states. Shreveport looked like it was doing well but lots of banged up, closed stores and beaten up houses in Natchez and smaller towns.

Speaking of beaten up we're - me and the dogs - are all getting bitten up pretty good by the insects!

We have less than a 1,000 miles to go to Miami and five days to do it so we're in very good shape. Probably camp out outside of Mobile Alabama tonight.

 

[Sarah R.]

My goodness, Cort, you've been on the road for five years? You're made of sturdier stuff than me. What fun to get to see your adventure. You've captured some beautiful landscapes. And what sweet looking dogs. Eastward Ho! I'll be following along. Thanks for sharing your journey with us.

 

[Cort]

My goodness, Cort, you've been on the road for five years? You're made of sturdier stuff than me. What fun to get to see your adventure. You've captured some beautiful landscapes. And what sweet looking dogs. Eastward Ho! I'll be following along. Thanks for sharing your journey with us.

Almost five years. It's kind of hard to believe. We're in Mobile Alabama right now - blue, blue skies, big puffy clouds and of course, hot and humid

Onto Tallahaasee and the Apalachiola ? National Forest hopefully

 

[ritasheart]

Almost five years. It's kind of hard to believe. We're in Mobile Alabama right now - blue, blue skies, big puffy clouds and of course, hot and humid

Onto Tallahaasee and the Apalachiola ? National Forest hopefully

Have you thought about writing a book?

 

[elizabeth b burlingame]

i left a comment on health rising page....we are in Atlanta if it works, please come visit!!!!
Welcome!
elizabeth(Liz's mother)

 

[Cort]

i left a comment on health rising page....we are in Atlanta if it works, please come visit!!!!
Welcome!
elizabeth(Liz's mother)

Thanks

 

[Cort]

White Sands

Next it was onto one of the most ecologically different environments I've ever been. The low nutrition white sands in the Apalachiola National Forest in Florida produced a open forest of what looked like tall, skinny long leaf pines interspersed with shrubs including many low palm trees.

The white sands were beautiful

And for once the insects were not much of a problem. That changed with our next stop

 

[Cort]

Tick Heaven

The pictures I took do not do justice to the beauty of the oaks, pines and numerous other trees that made up the diverse forest landscape in the Ocala National Forest stop. Unfortunately, it turned out to be loaded with ticks - the first ticks we've come across. I pulled about 30 small ticks off of me that day and continued pulling them off me for the next couple of days.

The next day we fled to a lakeside camp in the same forest with no ticks!

 

[Cort]

When I pulled into the Miami Airport Marriot the next day around 7pm though the damage had been done. Despite the fact that she'd reacted badly to insect bites on the Oregon coast a couple of years earlier I forgot to put her and River on flea and tick ointment until too late. River, oddly enough, was unbothered.

Skye had been really bothered by insects at one point in Louisiana - stopping and licking herself although none were present and asking to be in the van. Over the next couple of days she had periods of agitation and calm. Looking at her in the hotel room revealed she'd have some horrendous reactions to insect bites on her shoulders.

A trip to the vet indicated that Skye had suffered an allergic reaction to the bites and had some enormous hot spots. Shaving her revealed huge areas of inflamed skin. She gave her antibiotics and creams and a hood. We wrapped a shirt around her so that she wouldn't scratch.

The wounds were not pretty.

It looked gruesome but five days and another vet visit later Skye is doing much better. Her wounds have diminished greatly, she's regained her energy and she's on her way to a complete recovery.

It was a lesson indeed!

 

[elizabeth b burlingame]

Thanks

Hi Cort
Just reminder, we are here in Atlanta...use this email if needed eliz.burlingame@yahoo.com
Thank you, Elizabeth Burlingame

 

[glori h]

Incredible photos...enjoy your journey, if u have a chance let me know when you make it to FL....happy trails!