{By Kelly}

In our quest to simplify our lives and travel more, we decided to part ways with our 17-foot 1969 Boston Whaler Montauk, "The Hurricane Punch." Justin spent more than a year restoring it and we enjoyed several years cruising the waters of the Indian River Lagoon, Florida Keys, Biscayne Bay, Gulf of Mexico, and the Atlantic Ocean on calm days. We camped on spoil islands, fished, cruised to the sandbar with the dogs, and had fun exploring the beautiful waterways that surround our home in Florida. 

But we were using it less and less as The Riveted Roost demanded more of our time and money. We agreed that we could explore so many more places in the Airstream than the boat. Plus, our stand-up-paddleboards would do the trick to get us out on the water. So we sold the boat and used the money to fund our Airstream restoration... and a trip to Europe for our seven year anniversary.

After only a couple weeks on Craig's List, the boat sold and we purchased our airfare for a Dec. 1 departure from Miami to Paris (Air France), and a return flight from London (Virgin Atlantic) on Dec. 11. We saved hundreds by booking five months in advance and traveling off peak season. 

I found a lovely apartment to rent across the Seine from Notre Dame in the Latin Quarter of Paris on airbnb.com - another huge savings as opposed to a hotel. We purchased our Paris Pass before we left town (we highly recommend the Paris and London Passes if you plan to visit the local attractions - it's a big savings, has an option to include public transit, and in many cases, will help you avoid the queues). We saved by buying our EuroStar tickets in advance to transport us from Paris to London via the Chunnel. I found our London accommodations, The Gardens Guest House, on Hotels.com at a discount. 

By planning our trip in advance, we were able to purchase items a little at a time in the months leading up to our departure. Once we got to Europe, all we needed to pay for was food and souvenirs!

GETTING TO PARIS

I booked a direct evening flight to Paris, having every intention of sleeping on the plane, but my excitement got the better of me. I think we only got a couple hours of shuteye between the two of us. We arrived in Paris around 11:30 a.m. and took the RER train from Charles de Gaulle into the heart of Paris (St. Michel was our home metro station for the duration of our visit). We made the walk of tourist shame with our luggage from the Metro to our apartment, thankfully only a couple blocks away. CDG is relatively far from central Paris, so research your transfer in advance. Shuttles and taxis can be pricey, so we opted for the RER since our apartment was close to a stop. 

When we travel, we usually prefer to drive, whether towing our Airstream, or renting a car if we've flown to our destination. Paris is one town I would recommend forgoing the rental car. Traffic is crazy, parking is hard to come by (and expensive), and their public transportation system (Metro or bus) is fabulous. Most importantly, Paris is best explored on foot if you really want to immerse yourself in the culture.

ACCOMMODATIONS 

We stayed in an amazing apartment in the Latin Quarter with a bird's eye view of Notre Dame. I spent a good amount of time scouring AirBNB.com for the perfect place. I wanted a central location 

EXPLORING

Our first afternoon in Paris, we took advantage of the Paris Pass' Big Bus tour. It's a hop-on-hop-off tour in a double decker bus that does a great overview the major attractions throughout the city. Though certainly touristy, it helped us get the lay of the land and a lot of interesting information. It helped us decide where we would and WOULDN'T go during our stay.  

Versailles - 

Eiffel Tower - 

Cruise on the Seine - You never know how the weather will cooperate, but take your first opportunity to take a sunset cruise on the Seine. We boarded the Bateaux Parisiens River Cruise right across from the Eiffel Tower and it was one of the most memorable moments of our trip. 


Musuems and Galleries - We visited the Cluny Museum, Orsay Gallery, Orangerie, Louvre

EATING

Food should really be at the top of this list. Paris has the most amazing cuisine and it spans far beyond French fare, although you should certainly devote a large portion of your meals to the native cuisine. 

REGRETS

1. Our biggest regret is that we didn't spend more time in Paris. There is so much to see and do. However, we now have a good excuse to return... Next time, we'll see Paris in the springtime, when the gardens are in bloom. We'll spend more time exploring the Louvre - which would take a lifetime to do properly. Maybe we'll take a trip to Mont Saint Michel near Normandy... We will take our time on our next visit, with the major attractions out of the way.

2. I would visit one of Paris' glorious markets the very first day, and stock the apartment with some of the delicacies you can only find in this famously epicurean city. I might even do a little French cooking!

{By Kelly}

We had a great time at the Vintage Trailer Rally at Sebastian Inlet State Park in Sebastian, Fla, Oct. 24-26, 2014. Here are a few pics of The Riveted Roost and friends, along with the stunning views from the park.

This is a gorgeous park with beach and lagoon access for boating, fishing, swimming, surfing, paddling, hiking and just soaking up some sun. The campground is lovely and many sites have waterfront views.

All photos © Kelly Beard, The Riveted Roost

{By Kelly}

I've traveled from Florida to Western North Carolina nearly every year for the past 33 years. My grandmother has a home in Hendersonville, NC and each visit brings new discoveries in the surrounding mountains. Here are a few of the places I explored at the end of September, first week of October, 2014.

All photos © Kelly Beard, The Riveted Roost

It was late September, but early traces of fall could be found at higher elevations, like Graveyard Fields, milepost 418.8 , along the Blue Ridge Parkway near Brevard, North Carolina. It sounds creepy, but the name originates from a time when a severe windstorm felled hundreds of trees in the area. Over the years, moss covered the stumps, resembling graves. With time, the forest has begun to recover, but a large meadow remains, which you can see from the parkway overlook. There's a parking area and restrooms at the trailhead of the Graveyard Fields Loop, which leads to two major waterfalls on the Yellowstone prong of the Pigeon River. I started my solo hike down the paved trail just after dawn and was greeted immediately by wildflowers, a pleasant surprise for this chilly time of year.

The paved trail leads down to a bridge, just a short distance away, that spans the river. After crossing, the trail forks, leading to the lower falls to the right, or the upper falls to the left.

I've driven past the sign for Cascade Lake Recreation Area too many times to count and I've never taken the time to check it out... until now. I'm certainly glad I did because it is a beautiful lake with a lovely campground (open April through October), perfect for a getaway with the Riveted Roost. It's located in the Pisgah Forest, between Hendersonville and Brevard, NC. The beginning of October is a wonderful time to visit - when the air is cool and the leaves are turning. Summer visitors can take advantage of the swimming area or rent a canoe and paddle from the lake into Dupont Forest, all the way to Hooker Falls.

{By Kelly}

If you're in the Miami area, Shark Valley is a great introduction to Everglades National Park (park entrance fee, $10/vehicle). Located 25 miles west of the Florida Turnpike, the Shark Valley Visitor Center offers educational displays including a short informational video, gift shop, nature trails, snacks, and restrooms. Tram tours ($23 per person, $19/seniors, $12.75/children) to the observation tower and back (about two hours) are provided, or rent a bike ($9/per hour) and do the 15-mile loop at your own pace. 

At any given time, visitors can see a variety of birds, plants, and even a few alligators, as you'll see in the photos, below.

If you're interested in camping in Everglades National Park, you can find more information here.

All photos © Kelly Beard, The Riveted Roost.

If you go to Shark Valley, be sure to visit the Miccosukee Indian Village and take an airboat ride before or after your visit - it's on the way. It's an exhilarating ride through the beautiful River of Grass to an Indian Camp that is more than 100 years old. At the camp, watch for gators as you take in the gorgeous view.

We squeezed in a long weekend in the Keys to celebrate the Fourth of July with Justin's family. They rented a cute little bungalow at the Old Wooden Bridge Guest Cottages and Marina on Big Pine Key.

Upon our late afternoon arrival, we were greeted by the local "Welcome Committee," the infamous Key Deer. After we got unpacked, we loaded up the boat and headed into the Atlantic for some night fishing. We were met by a gorgeous sunset and rewarded with a full night of reeling in snapper. It was a nice change to fish at night under the stars instead of under the blazing sun.

The next day (July 4th), the boys headed offshore to fish while a few of us stragglers took the boat to Looe Key to snorkel the reef. It was a beautiful sunny day and clear, calm seas, perfect for diving. We saw all kinds of tropical fish, as well as a Blacktip shark and a couple Goliath Grouper. The grouper lounging in the shade of the boat was easily 4 feet and probably 300 lbs. We were literally nose to nose and he seemed just as curious about me as I was about him.

That evening, we celebrated Independence Day with a barbecue and viewed Big Pine Key's fireworks show from our SUPs (stand up paddleboards). It was quite a show and a perfect way to celebrate in the Keys.

Our last full day in the Keys, we decided to take a drive down to Key West and have some fun downtown. We enjoyed some refreshing frozen daiquiris, then lunch at Kelly's Caribbean Bar, Grill & Brewery. Lunch in the shady courtyard is a refreshing change from the touristy bars and restaurants on Duval Street. We made the rounds of our favorite bars, a few shops, then picked up one of Blue Heaven's famous Key Lime pies for later. 

One of the benefits of the Old Wooden Bridge Guest Cottages is the close proximity to the No Name Pub, one of our favorite places to eat and drink in the Keys. After returning from Key West, we rode our bikes less than a half of a mile to No Name Pub for dinner. We had a great meal and stapled our decorated dollar bills to the wall (it's a tradition!) Back at the cottages, we dug into our delicious Key Lime pie and savored our last balmy night in the islands.

The next morning, Justin and I went for a sunrise paddle - it was a nice way to end our Keys trip and a great excuse to move and stretch before getting on the road for our 4 hour drive home. While parting is such sweet sorrow, the view along the Overseas Highway in the Keys is always stunning. We stopped for a lovely breakfast at Midway Cafe in Islamorada, then continued through the hustle and bustle of South Florida on our way back to reality.

Here are my favorite photos from our weekend in the Keys: