Heading West

March-We continued our trip west by heading to Lafayette, La. We decided to bypass New Orleans since we had been there before and we knew it would be a lot of traffic etc. On the road we are trying to avoid interstates and high traffic areas-so far we have done pretty well. However, we did take I -10 into Lafayette over the Pontchartrain Bridge over miles of bayous-I am sure there were lots of alligators and snakes out there. Arrived in Lafayette late afternoon and found a city campsite downtown Lafayette with lots of trees, hiking/bike paths. Next day headed to Avery Island-home of the famous McIlhenny tabasco sauce. We toured the factory-very interesting salt mines on the island and same family still owns production and the island. We sampled jalapeno ice cream and tabasco coke. Ed McIlhenny developed a bird sanctuary and a huge garden on the island. You can either walk or drive through the sanctuary and gardens. We walked and it took us about 3-4 hours to see everything-beautiful live oaks (one 300 years old), camellias, azaleas, holly, and the biggest tea olives I have ever seen-a must to visit. Of course , we had to buy some cajun food for dinner. Found a cajun market which had been in business for 30 years. Boudin and cracklin were their speciality-it was delicious. Next morning decided it was time to head to Texas!! On the way to Beaumont, Texas while still in La. we passed through Rayne-frog capitol of the world, Crowley-rice capital of the US. When we entered Texas we stopped at welcome center. Our first impression of Texas was not a great one.Sandy and I had decided we probably would not spend too much time in this state. Boy, how things can change!
Chelsea-I really loved going to Avery Island because I got to walk the entire gardens with Carolyn and Sandy and also got to swim a little in the waterway. However, the only scary time was when we were walking around a pond and I almost stepped on a 6 ft alligator. I was disappointed that I was not allowed to chase all those birds in the sanctuary-that would have been a blast. Also, I have to admit-I did get pretty tired of all that walking. It is a good thing I got a treat and dinner when I got back to the  rv or I would not have been "a happy camper".

March-After a delightful oyster  lunch in Apalachicola and doing some touring in the quaint gulf side fishing town, we headed to Panama City. Fl. It was late when we arrived so headed to Wal-Mart-did not look like any Wal-Mart I had ever seen-brand new and had an island look! Did not realize until next morning we were only 1/4 mile from main beach drag and it was Spring Break for colleges.  Next morning drove all along the main beach road-college kids everywhere in every kind of skimpy clothing you could imagine. I am sure they were having a great time. Sandy and I looked at each other and said "remember those days and look at us now-would we have ever thought we would be driving around in an rv in our late 60's!! "The beach here was beautiful, but too many high rise condos! Left and headed to Pensacola and discovered another wonderful barrier island -Santa Rosa part of the gulf islands national seashore. We stayed at Ft. Pickens campground at end of island between the gulf and Pensacola Bay-lovely area fort ruins and beautiful pristine beach.. Next morning,after touring fort ruins and walking on beach, we headed to Pensacola. Very lovely town would like to come back to visit. On the way out of town we discovered Joe Pettis seafood market. It had everything-fresh seafood, fresh bread, cheeses (including fondue), meats, vegetables etc . I told Sandy after having a cappucino that we had to get out of this place or we would blow all our travel money!! You can order on their website. We drove along hwy 90 on coast of AL and MS and were amazed at damage rendered by Hurricane Katrina. It was devastating! Miles of vacant land with only foundations, steps, swimming pools or nothing left for miles-very depressing. When we arrived at gulf shores of MS  found another great state park-Davis Bayou. We camped here for 2 days and hiked bayous and visited  the Sandhill Crane Preserve-highly recommend this place. We did not get to see any cranes because they were nesting but got to hike through acres of longleaf pines and the restored habitat for the cranes and other wildlife. Stay tuned for next posting.
Chelsea-I am still enjoying being on the road with my "fam". I am with them 24/7 except on some hikes that they take-either I am not allowed on them or either they are too long. There is no way I am walking 6-7 miles. I would rather stay in the rv and either sleep or look out the front window. (I always get up in Carolyn's seat when she leaves so I can look out). And of course everytime they leave me alone they give me a treat. Let them go walk themselves ragged-not me. Now I do love to swim and I am not happy about not being allowed on most beaches. But overall this is a pretty "doggone" cool experience.

Groovin on the Gulf

Feb.25-28 Drove up west coast of Fl.,but did not stop until we reached outskirts of Tampa-too much development and traffic. Researched online and found a county park with camping outside Tampa,but on the bay.It was a great spot-on the water,with beach,dock,elect.,water,and nice restrooms (we got there 1 minute before they closed-lucky us) Also, saw at least 10 active osprey nests! We also visited Big Bend electric generator sight where hundreds of manatees winter because of warm water from the plant. We kept heading north and spent night at wal-mart in Perry, Fl. There are usually several RVs and cars overnighting at the Wal-marts. It is a good place to meet interesting people and get our shopping done! Also, the vegetable man gave us a good tip-casinos allow free RV parking (I guess they are hoping you will come in to gamble). We got on Hwy 19 and headed to Apalachicola Fl for some yummy oysters and to tour interesting little fishing town. On the way, we decided to see if St. George Island had any camping spots open.It is a very beautiful barrier island. I called and the ranger said I have 2 spots available -first come first serve. We put the Rv in high gear and got the last spot. We could not believe how pristine and beautiful-sugar white sand and emerald green water. We wanted to stay there forever-number 1 on our list so far, and it has had some stiff competition! We saw 4 bald eagles and walked many miles on beach and forest observing wildlife and vegetation.We have been on road about 6 weeks now, and feel like we are finally getting into a groove! Sandy and I have had a few disagreements, but set some guidelines-he is the designated driver and I am the designated navigator/campground finder. If one of us screws up, the other must be patient.Let's hope we both follow that rule for the whole trip.
Chelsea-I really liked campground at St. George Island, but I did not like that no dogs on beach rule.I guess that is because it is so pristine and some dogs would mess it up-but not me. I did go on some hikes where I found ponds to swim in-just had to watch for alligators. Also, the night the fam cooked out fresh shrimp and fish, I got to enjoy some.And as always at the campsites everyone talks about how beautiful,well-behaved I am-so of course that means extra petting and treats for me. The road life is not so bad after all!

From Prairie to the Everglades

February 21-24 Headed down to Lake Okeechobee to camp. Could not find campground I had located online so researched again and found a boat landing called Indian Prairie Canal. The sight said there were  5 free campsites-no water or electricity. We decided to check it out. It was lovely, but in the middle of nowhere  on canals that led to the lake. The Corps of Engineers used to manage this site which borders the Seminole Indian Reservation.There were 4 other rvs there so we found a great spot on canal and set up camp. Did a lot of hiking on the Florida Trail which was located on canals. Hiked all the way to lake (8 miles). Discovered wild papaya trees loaded with fresh fruit. We sure enjoyed these for breakfast! Serious bass fishermen at this landing going out all times of day and night! Sandy had no luck fishing so he and Chelsea went for a swim in the canal while I was the "gator spotter" for them. There was one big downside though about this place. At about 5 pm the mosquitos and little roach like bugs came out. The first night we were not aware of this and left screen open for a few minutes. When we walked in the rv the ceiling was black with mosquitos . Sandy and I spent 45 minutes trying to kill all of them and then clean the ceiling. We tried to get all the little roach like buggies,but we came finding them around for days even after we left. I guess they wanted to go traveling with us. We did not want any extra baggage especially them! Interesting group of campers here-most had been there since Nov! They were from all over-Ut, Il, Pa, Mi, SD.
Feb. 24-26-Headed south to Big Cypress National Preserve and Everglades. Rode through miles and miles of fields of maidencane. All of a sudden we were hit by a swarm of bees in Big Cypress -like a black cloud hitting our windshield. Then we realized there were dead bees all over our hood and windshield. We had to stop and clean as much off as we could until we got to a campsite. We think they were honeybees, but not sure maybe they were killer bees. We spent the night at a "retro" CG straight out of the '50's! It was called Trail Lakes, but better known as "Skunk Ape Research Center" (I am not sure about what king of research is done here) Had an ancient exhibit of pythons, alligators, turtles and birds-crazy. We visited Everglades City and a wonderful little island called Chokoloskee. The island was very quaint able to cover the entire town by foot. It was lovely, tropical and very quiet. We ended up having lunch at the Havana Cafe (our first meal out since we have been on the road-amazing for us!!). The fresh seafood was delicious!! However, we are anxious to get out of south FL-too many people, too much traffic and development.
Chelsea-Really enjoyed swimming in the canal. Glad someone was watching for the gators though. I also really enjoyed not having to be on a leash for a change. However, I was not so crazy about the Everglades-had to stay on a very short leash because there were gators and snakes everywhere and also it was hot and buggy. When are we leaving here?

Technology is wonderful when it works

Carolyn and Sandy-Due to inconsistent service in our primitive areas ,we are now having to play catch up with our blog. However, with pen and paper we are up to date with our written journals!!So unable to post, but busy exploring, meeting interesting people, seeing beautiful country,and winging it with campsites. Now we will just provide some high lights of those days and some pictures. We are beginning to wonder if we will ever make it out of Florida! But we must get on our way.
Lake Griffin State Park-south of Ocala-spent one night and met nice couple from Beaufort, NC. They told us to avoid Keys-too crowded and expensive, but head to Big Cypress National Preserve, the Everglades, and Chokoloskee. We have found that we get the best tips from fellow RVers. Everyone is so friendly and helpful-like a special community of travelers. And everyone seems so relaxed, happy and positive. It must be the camping life or retirement! We decided to scratch the Keys this trip (think this experience might take longer than a year), but head south to recommended areas. After passing by Disney World, stopping at vegetable stand, and buying fresh strawberries and tomatoes we drove on to a lovely town, Sebring, Fl. We got the last camping spot at Highlands Hammock SP-one of the oldest and largest in FL. (another park built by CCC). Lots of hiking and biking trails. Camped next to a couple from Summerville, SC. They invited us to their campfire that night and provided us with 5 pages of places we had to see in the US! Oh dear, here we go again-our trip gets longer and longer! To be continued!!!
Chelsea-We have been doing a lot of driving lately and I am getting bored. I definitely prefer the campsites where I get to meet lots of people who love to pet me! I I love hanging out with Carolyn and Sandy by the camp fire at night and chasing bugs. Also, I am still looking for some of those turkeys or any other wildlife.

Another great find in Ocala National Forest

February 12-17 Alexander Springs- Carolyn-Since this is considered a primitive campground (no water or electricity at site) it did not take long to set up. It is amazing what you can get used to doing without-yeah right -on board we have fresh water tank, generator, propane and water pump. Oh well, so much for primitive. Went on long hike around beautiful natural springs -consistent temperature of 73 degrees aquamarine color hard to tell depth of water because of clarity.Caverns formed by spring erosion about 27 feet deep. Lots of snorkeling and scuba diving done here. There was a boardwalk constructed through a tropical forest and then hiked old Timucuan Indian Trail (lived here about 4,000 years ago). Plaques along the way told how these Indians used the plants. For example, ground up shells of hickory nuts (pignuts) ate it because high in calories and mixed meat with water to make a liquor ! I guess they had their "happy hour" also. At one of the viewing areas along crystal clear water saw huge otter moving through water chasing a big bass-caught it and took it to shore to eat it. Saw lots of alligators,fish in sand boils, birds, racoons, and turtles.Next day walked 8 miles on the Florida National Trail. Do not think we will  hike the 1400 miles ! Callie, Brett, Tyler Parker, Lawson and Cullen came for the weekend and we all had a blast. The boys were brave enough to go snorkling over the caverns. Saw lots of different types of fish and turtles. They brought tents, but it was pretty chilly so most of the boys ended up in rv with us especially since we had sat around campfire telling stories (some scary) and going for walks in the dark woods doing double dares. Callie and Brett slept in tent with heated black frying pan wrapped in a towel and heated rocks. It actually worked! Callie said she was warm all night. Now that is improvising. Went hiking trails, canoeing and fishing. Hated for it to end. And to top it off we all ate roasted bacon and cheese  crickets. Gave some competition to our campfire smores!
Chelsea-I loved having the boys here. I sure have missed them. But I had not missed Ella -was hoping they had left her in Charleston, but no she shows up also and was jumping all over me and gnawing on me.What a pest! I had to go hide in the bushes to get away from her. Oh well, she is cute,but just needs to mature.

Juniper Springs, Ocala National Forest

Carolyn-It has been a while since I have recorded anything on my blog(I am doing well to keep my written diary updated!!). So since we are in a very primitive camp area (no water, electricity or dump station) at Lake Okeechobee I have some time to play "catch up" on my blog.
Sandy and and I decided to camp on as much of our property (and yours too) that we all own-The National Forest and Parks.
Feb. 10-11 After Salt Springs we headed down to Juniper Springs in Ocala National Forest. Another national campground with no electricity or on site water but very nice and had bathhouses with nice toilets and showers. As we walked over to check these out, we saw bear scat next to bathhouse (guess they did not make it!). When we went back to set up campsite, we had visitors-2 wild tom turkeys and 6 hens just strolling around our campsite. They visited us about 3-4 times a day. Too bad not turkey season-they would have made a nice dinner! Later in the afternoon went on hike on boardwalk through the woods and swamp with botany info plaques along the way and a bridge with large bubbling springs underneath. Then to the area that the CCC built for the springs. This program created by Roosevelt in 30's was amazing. Check it out. Back to rv for wine time and dinner. Our rv has a monitor panel that lets you know levels of fresh water, black and grey water, battery level. We have decided that something else should be added to this monitor- level of wine in the "wine cave".You do not want this to be empty because so far there have been no places at our CGs to buy wine! Next morning as we were lying on our stomachs looking out our rv back window we looked at each other and said this feels like we are in back of covered wagon looking out back. However, reality hit-I did have my own rv bathroom and fresh coffee brewing on the gas stove! Hiked 12 miles on the Florida Trail (1400 miles through fl).  A lady we met at springs invited us to come over that night for campfire. When we arrived there were about 15 men and women 80 and over sitting around fire talking. They told us they had been there for 5 mos. During the day together they forage for wood and other supplies and assist each other with repairs of rvs or whatever anyone needs assistance with. That is what I call quality assisted living. They were so happy and independent. Most were 87-90 years old. I say lets do that!!!
Chelsea-Well, all has been going great except I have to be on a 6 ft. leash at all campgrounds-state, national, private (don't they know that most dogs behave better than humans), but I am getting used to it. Also, dogs are not allowed on some trails. I do love being with my family all the time-riding between them in the rv and hanging out at campsite meeting new people (who always pet me and give me treats). I have also enjoyed eating my meals outside lying down on my bed-sort of like the ancient Romans. However, I did get put in time out in the rv for chasing the turkeys. I could not help myself they just walked right up to me.They sure did look tasty. Just wait until turkey season. Must go and recline for my next meal. What a life!!