Powerful and Sobering (Feb 20 - 22)

 I can’t believe this is our last week on the road.  It really has been a great trip that lived up to hopes and expectations of RV life.

Yesterday we drove up from Gulf Shores to our site in Hope Hull, AL which is near Montgomery, but also not too far from Selma.  Today we drove up to, and then followed, the route of the civil rights march in 1965 from Selma to Montgomery. We stopped at an interpretive center in Lowndes County where we saw a movie and exhibits about the civil rights struggles of the time, but with a particular focus on events in Alabama.  Powerful. Sobering. Moving. 

From there we continued on to Selma, crossing the Edmund Pettus Bridge where Bloody Sunday took place.  After lunch, we gave ourselves a driving tour of Selma, passing by some historic sites. The downtown area seems depressed with a lot of apparently-shuttered businesses.

Our next stop was back in Montgomery.  At the Civil Rights Memorial Center we saw another documentary that was made during the worst of COVID, and so more up to date than the first one we saw today.  There was a special quilt exhibit honoring Senator John Lewis.

On a lighter note, Sunday we went to a Jewish Food Festival at Temple Beth Or in Montgomery.  There was not a spot to be had on the parking lot, so we left the car at an Aldi down the street.  The place was crazy!  We managed to escape with matza ball soup, kugel, stuffed cabbage, latkes, quajado and praline & chocolate covered matza.  Oy vay, if we eat it all we’ll plotz!

We then continued our return north, stopping at Chewacla State Park near Auburn, AL.  The temperature is forecast to dip in to the 20s overnight, so I’ll wait until it warms up in the morning before connecting the water.

Roll Tide With a Banjo On My Knee (Feb 16-19)

We went back to the state park on St. Joseph Peninsula for a bike ride on Feb 16, our last full day in Port St. Joe.  We really like this area and hope we can return soon.  The next day we drove to Gulf State Park in Gulf Shores, Alabama.  My first time in this state.  There was a road closure close to the park for a Mardi Gras parade.  We could just see a bit of the crowd driving by the end of the parade route, and there were thousands of people. According to the park ranger, public schools get the week of Mardi Gras off down here, and then a couple weeks later they get another week off for spring break.

Gulf State Park is really nice.  And really big.  This morning, we started the day with a bike ride on a couple of the 28 miles-worth of trails in the park.  We ate breakfast al fresco in what would become a 77 degree day. In the afternoon we a dolphin/sunset cruise on Portage Creek and Wolf Bay. We did see several dolphins but they were up and down so fast that we couldn’t get any good pics.

Thursday started with another bike ride around the park, followed by a talk on pirates in the Gulf.

St. George Island, Apalachicola, and Turtles! (Feb 14 & 15)

On Valentine’s Day we had a nice big breakfast and drove to St. George Island, which is another long, narrow island east of our campsite.  As we’ve come to expect, St. George is beautiful and well-kept.  Expensive houses line the waterfront on the bay and especially the Gulf side of the island.  The houses are built on tall stilts.  

We entered St. George Island State Park which, like St. Andrew’s State Park near Panama City, was free for the Presidents Day long weekend.  Another beautiful park and beach, but it was 64 degrees and very windy on the Gulf side, so we didn’t linger.  Rather, we walked part of the nature trail on the bay side, which was very pleasant.  We heard, but did not see, Grey Catbirds and Yellow Warblers.

On our way back we had an early dinner in Apalachicola. Here’s a sunset shot from our RV park.

On Sunday the 15th we went to the Forgotten Coast Sea Turtle Center in Port St. Joe.  The Center is run by the Florida Coastal Conservancy, a non-profit.  They monitor and advocate for sea turtles, do some turtle rehabilitation, and take some turtle “donations” since as pets, they can outlive their owners.  They have several turtles in pens, and we enjoyed an educational turtle talk by one of the volunteers.  We were impressed enough to “adopt” a nest.  This basically means we donate money, they send us a certificate, and let us know how productive the nest is.  Yet one more reason, from our perspective, to really like this area.

Port St. Joe and Panama City (Feb 12 & 13)

February 11 was a travel day.  We drove to our next stop: Port St. Joe, which is about half-way across the Florida panhandle.

Port St. Joe’s population is estimated to be about 4,100, similar to Colonial Beach.  But it’s downtown area must serve a broader area, because there are many more restaurants and shops than CB.  On Thursday we drove to the beach on T. H. Stone St. Joseph Peninsula.  Look at a map: the peninsula is a narrow strip of land connected to the mainland, which soon takes a 90-degree bend northwestward.  We went to a state park on the peninsula.  

This beach is one of nicest I’ve ever been to.  And it helped that hardly anyone else was there.  The only thing less than great was the 58-degree water temperature.  The sand was nice and soft, and not rocky even as you enter the water.  We’ll be back.

The next day, Friday the 13th, we had no bad luck at all.  We drove to Panama Beach City, a little west of Panama City, to see the Man in the Sea Museum.  The museum is mostly about Sealabs 1, 2 and 3, but also has displays about the history of deep sea diving.  It was interesting enough, but left us wanting because their documentary and exhibits essentially ended in the early ‘70s, after the investigation following Sealab 3’s mission failure and the death of an aquanaut.  

After the museum we went to St. Andrews State Park, which is at the end of a peninsula coming out of Panama Beach City.  We took the beach road to get there.  I figured there might be a “strip” but was surprised by the miles of high rises - hotels and condos - and restaurants, amusement businesses like arcades, etc.  There was traffic in mid-February; it must be crazy in the high season.  The park was very nice, although sand had more broken shells in it.  Yesterday’s beach on St. Joseph Peninsula is still our #1.

Homosassa Springs State Park (Feb 10)

 The full name of the park is Ellie Schiller Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park.  A mouthful, I know.  The park is less than 1.5 miles from our RV site, and we liked it a lot.  On one side there’s a paved birding trail that’s 1.4 miles out and back.  I did the walk a couple days prior.  On the other side is a great assembly of wildlife including several species of birds, manatees, and a bear, bobcat and panther.  Many of the animals were rescued and cannot be returned to the wild.  They did such a nice job of providing habitats for the animals.

We watched as park volunteers fed pelicans fish and tossed heads of romaine lettuce to the herbivore manatees.

There’s also a pond that is well-populated with several species of fish.  There’s an underwater fish observatory.  I think the fish were as curious about us as we were about them because many of them stuck close to the glass.  We mostly saw Common Snooks and Gray Snappers.  The Homosassa Spring feeds in to the pond, which becomes the headwater for the Homosassa River.  The spring’s temperature, 74F, is comfortable for the manatees.  68F and below can be deadly for them. Fun fact: a group of manatees is an “aggregation”.

In the afternoon we went back to the Withlacoochee Trail for another bike ride.  On the way back we bought more oranges and grapefruits, which we are really enjoying.

Way Down Upon The Suwannee River (Feb 9)

 I always thought the “Swanee River” as it’s spelled in the song lyrics was different than the Suwannee River as it’s spelled in geography.  And I never associated it with Florida, just Georgia.  The river does start in Georgia but flows through Florida in to the Gulf.  I guess that’s why “The Old Folks at Home” is Florida’s state song.  I’m glad I’m still learning.

On Monday, Feb 9, we went to the Suwannee River by visiting Manatee Springs State Park.  And it’s a very nice state park: quiet, clean, really nice forest, and the water is extremely clear.  And they have a nice boardwalk that takes you along a creek to the Suwannee.  But the day was warm so the manatee that otherwise hang out in the creek went out to the warmer river.

And cypress knees - they grow out of the roots of cypress trees.  I don’t recall ever seeing these before.  They lend a certain eeriness to the forest.

In the afternoon we drove to Cedar Key and checked it out.  It’s a small island right on the Gulf with 750 year-round residents. What a nice little town!  Some beaches, nice houses on stilts, several restaurants on the strip along the water.  Jenny and I agreed that we’d like to come back.

Alliterations Abound (Feb 7 & 8)

 Ah, the wonderful Withlacoochee.  The wacky Weeki Wachee.  Those Muscogee and Seminoles knew how to name places.  Weally gwate.  Er, I mean really great.

The other thing that I’m really appreciating about our trip is all the state parks, nature preserves, state and national forests, and other protected areas.

On Saturday the 7th we indeed went to Weeki Wachi State Park.  The main attraction here is the mermaid show.  The show actually started in the 40’s as a roadside attraction and Florida brought it and the surrounding land in to the state park system when the show started, um, going under.  The park is more for families and kids, but we enjoyed it anyway.

On the 8th we went to the World Equestrian Center in Ocala.  There are a couple of large indoor arenas, several equestrian shops, and a couple of very nice hotels.  The main arena, though, is outside in front of the main hotel.  We saw horse jumping.

A New Hometown

 Thursday, the 5th, was our last day in Camp Margaritaville.  I’ll miss it.  My only regret is that the weather wasn’t conducive to taking advantage of all their amenities since virtually all the activities were outside.  But onward and upward: we drove two hours north to Homosassa Springs and the Sun Retreats RV Resort.  After arriving, we set up camp, had lunch out, and picked up a few groceries.

On Friday, we drove to Inverness and rode 15 miles by bike on the Withlacoochee Trail.  It’s flat, wide, and smooth. A nice ride with nice scenery. After the ride we walked around Inverness’s downtown area, which is really just several blocks of (mostly) small independent restaurants and shops.  It’s very nice.

Before heading back to the RV we explored Homosassa with a self-guided driving tour. The below pic is from a boat ramp. 

Tonight we’re watching the Olympics opening ceremony. And a little curling. 

Fort Desoto and Saddle Creek Park (Feb 3-4)

 On Tuesday we drove to Fort Desoto Beach in Tierra Verde, on a barrier island about a half hour southwest of St. Petersburg.  But along the way, we stopped at Mazzaro’s Italian Market in St. Pete for lunch.  What a crazy place Mazzaro’s is! It was packed with patrons grocery shopping or getting prepared food.  The sandwiches and coffees we got were excellent, and of course we couldn’t get away without some store-made groceries like babka, fresh pasta and fresh pesto.  Thanks to RW and JW for the recommendation.  

 We got to Fort Desoto Beach about 10 minutes after high tide and there was still a wide expanse of beach.  It was fairly hard-packed and great for walking.  We could have ridden our bikes on the beach as well.  Considering the size of the parking lot at the south beach, this must be a very popular place in season.  There were only a few others on the beach when we were there - just the way we like it - and nobody braved the water.  After the beach we checked out a RV camping area that’s designated for pets.  I like that the sites had lots of trees and each had a picnic table. (Sorry, I can’t figure out how to get rid of the center justification for this paragraph.  It doesn’t work like Word.)

On Wednesday we went out for breakfast, washed sheets, and walked the nature trail at nearby Saddle Creek Park.  We saw two more bird species: blue-grey gnatcatcher and black-bellied whistling duck, and heard but did not see limpkins.  We also saw a couple more armadillos. The walk was just an out and back 2.4 miles total.  The path was wide and flat, and not paved.  The walk would have been more pleasant if the shooting range wasn’t so busy.

A Little Exploring; A Little Taking It Easy (Feb 1-2)

 Sunday we went to the Morse Museum in Winter Park, which is about 10 miles northeast of Orlando. Its main attraction is the largest collection of Tiffany glass, jewelry and paintings in the world.  I appreciated the techniques he created and perfected to make his art, and some works made me stop and gaze.  

Next we went to Disney Springs. This area is part of Disney World, but is like a giant outdoor mall.  It has many of the usual mall stores albeit the more expensive ones, many restaurants, and of course lots of places to buy Disney merchandise.  We had an early dinner at the Boathouse restaurant and it was quite good.  I haven’t played with Legos in over half a century but I had to admire the Lego “sculptures” outside their store.

Monday was a bit of an off day.  Laundry, vacuuming and cleaning the RV and such.  In the afternoon we went to an independent coffee shop. Jenny worked on her art P&L and I started putting together a photo album of this trip.

Back to Winter Park where the Morse Museum is.  OK, I used to work for the water company in D.C.  So sue me.  But I do think it’s nice when they mold something artful in to their meter pit and manhole covers.

Chores and Touring (Jan 30-31)

 Friday started slowly, but eventually we did get out and enjoy the sunny 74-degree high temp with a 25-mile out and back bike ride on the Teco Auburndale Trail, which runs in to the Van Fleet Trail.  The ride was all paved and very flat. The Teco trail crosses the road to Margaritaville about 1/4 mile from the camp entrance.  It was great to be back in the saddle.  I cooked breakfast and dinner outside on our old Coleman stove that I bought probably in the 90s.  Jenny was bartender. She made Bosses, which we learned about while in Massachusetts a couple weeks ago at the Bosse Enoteca restaurant.  1.5 parts repesado tequila, 1.5 parts pineapple juice, 3/4 parts Campari, 1/2 part lime juice, and a short squirt of agave juice.  You can use 1/2 part simple syrup in place of the agave.  I know, I know: we’re really roughing it down here.

Our first destination on Saturday was the propane refill station on site.  Temps are supposed to get to the 20s for the next two nights.  I’m sure we had enough propane to run the RV furnace and hot water heater, but we filled up just in case.  Tonight I’ll disconnect the water supply from the rig and bring the pressure regulator and water filter inside.

Next we went to the Citrus Festival in nearby Winter Haven. This was a small event, dominated by food trucks, craft vendors, and a few things related to citrus fruits.  We bought a bag of grapefruit.

Our last stop was at Florida Southern College.  Frank Lloyd Wright designed ten buildings and walkways there, so we did a little architecture touring.  We learned of the campus on atlasobscura.com, which lists a lot of less common things to do and see.

Hakuna Matata, Baby! (Jan 29)

Today we set out early and went to two animal kingdoms.  First we dropped Joey off at a kennel for some doggy daycare, and then we continued on to Disney’s Animal Kingdom which, had we gone straight there, is less than a hour’s drive from Camp Margaritaville.  Jenny was there years ago; I’ve never been.  

I can’t speak highly enough about how well run Animal Kingdom is. Almost nothing is left to chance.  The grounds are very clean and it is well-staffed with “cast members” that act professionally.  I was amazed by how many visitors wore Disney merchandise. We both had a great time, and I am left with great memories.

Our first “experience” was the African safari.  You approach the safari entrance by walking through an African village, which was reminiscent of my days in Africa, down to the flaking stucco and jumbled wires atop utility poles.  You then get on a vehicle and are driven on the safari to view the animals.

Next was the Lion King show, which we both loved.  Part musical, part Cirque du Soleil - the actors interacted with the audience and it was fun for all.  We also trekked through an area with Asian animals; saw a show with trained birds; saw a “Finding Nemo”-themed show and had a nice lunch at an Asian restaurant.

I’ll include only a few pictures here.  More to come in the photo album.  But because I'm a cultured and classy guy, I'll leave you with one more picture of me with yard art at the kennel.