Fall had arrived in Southwest Florida but there was little respite from the heat. We decided it was time to escape and head on another road trip. This time our destination would be a return to the Franklin area of western North Carolina so we could see the fall color in the Blue Ridge Mountains. During our previous visit to the area last Summer we had stayed at the Pines RV Park and Cabins. The park owners were friendly and had available a furnished one bedroom log cabin so we booked the ‘Moose Lodge” for a three night stay.

Muffy Clark Gill "Shibuya"
mixed media 45 x 36 in

Memories of my trip to Japan last year inspired a series of mixed media collages the I titled my “Shibuya series”. The name came from a memory of photos I had recorded while standing in the Shibuya train station in Tokyo, Japan. Hundreds of people were crossing the streets below the station at a place famously known as Shibuya Crossing, one of the busiest intersections in the world.

Since our 35th wedding anniversary vacation was a collection of events, we decided to continue celebrating on our way home from Key West by stopping in Miami Beach. Back in June I had purchased a deal on the Travelzoo website for a hotel package at the Kimpton Anglers Hotel. The hotel had only just opened before the pandemic hit and was slowly trying to reopen after being closed from March to June. Its location at 660  Washington Avenue in South Beach was a great place to be able to walk around and see the sights in South Beach. It was also dog friendly. Masked up or a $50 fine, we checked into a near empty hotel.

Recently we made a visit to one of our long time favorite places—Key West, Florida. Our first visit was 34 years ago to celebrate our first wedding anniversary. Since then we have made numerous return visits and having memorable memories with each one. This time we returned to celebrate numerous events- our 35th Wedding Anniversary, my husband’s birthday, and the first anniversary of adopting Mia, our Benji Terrier rescue dog. 
Heading south on US 1 we enjoyed our 100 mile drive down through the Florida Keys. Driving through Marathon and crossing the 7 mile bridge brought back many memories for me—especially when we passed Pigeon Key. I fondly remember the many outdoor art festivals I did there with my friend Judy. A short while later nearing Cudjoe Key we hit several rainstorms before reaching Key West. We finally arrived late in the afternoon in the rain.