Yesterday I felt a little like Dora the Explorer

I lived in Louisville, KY for most of my life except for the time I lived in NYC while in high school. Then there was my three year stay in Columbia, Mo. I was well into adulthood before I ventured into the "wilds of Kentucky" For that matter I went no place south of the city until the early 70's and only as far east in Kentucky as the outskirts of Lexington. I never traversed the state by car on the way south to someplace else until 1968 and then it was a straight shot down Interstate 65 to Nashville, TN.
It's not that I never left the state. I flew out of it on the way South a number of times. It was just when driving I always went north toward Ohio and across Pennsylvania.
Of the three years I lived in Missouri and all the time before that that I traveled there to see Lyn and the Grand sons I can't tell you much about what is actually in the states or what the character of the small towns are. I can almost drive from the MLK bridge to exit 124 in Columbia with my eyes closed. (just joking).but what I know of St. Louis the city I passed through so often I could tell you in one sentence. The arch is great and so is the park in which it stands and close by there is a street that reminds me of New Orleans, but this I learned from having visited the city back in the 80's.
While I lived in Columbia, I drove to Sedelia once to go to a Big Lots, The most memorable part of that trip was I blew the left front tire on the Jeep and a very good looking guy change the tire for me.
I drove to Marshall once to do a lecture for the guild there and several time I accompanied my daughter Lyn to Jefferson City (30 miles away) but I was never a tourist or explorer anxious to see what hidden treasures the state held. Now that I look back on it I should have gotten out and about the state more.
So when I moved here, I decided that I would venture out,go exploring and venturing out I have and I did again on Saturday. Ocala is about 80 miles or about 1-1/2 hours drive north from my parking garage. I took the State roads and they took me past and through several places that would have; on a better weather day had me out of the car and walking the streets and taking pictures. And yes, I remembered to take my camera. But because, of the rain I didn't bother to turn it on. I didn't get up on Saturday morning with itchy feet nor did I stick a pin in the map and decide on Ocala, just because or simply to see the city.
I was in search of some art supplies that I could not find locally, products that I did not want to wait for a delivery from Dick Blick. So with an apple, a hand full of nuts and a cup of coffee for my on the road breakfast off I went.
I drove past the Villages ( a neat planned Spanish themed community) and the place that the weatherman always references in his nightly report. On the way back somehow the GPS routed me through the center of Mount Dora. I liked what I saw of the town and next weekend there is a craft fair scheduled. Rene and I are planning to go up for that. Lets hope the weather is better and I will get some pictures to post.
Back to the art supply store: The Red Swan boast of being the largest art supply store in north central Florida and it was a good size place in a strip mall on the NE 14th Street. Not the center city, so I did not actually get to see the "city" of Ocala. I was somewhat disappointed. But not enough to explore in the rain. It took close to 2 hours to get to the art store; it rained on me all the way there and over two hours to get home; it poured on the way back.
Quilt related. I am over my duhs and back to working on a piece to hang on the wall at the end of the hallway of my new to me place when I move.