The First Big Adventure
Wednesday, February 17, 2016
Finally feeling like we have this camping stuff figured out, we decided to venture beyond the comfort zone of Ft Yargo State Park, just 15 miles from home. Actually, we hit the road to Florida & a two week, multi park walk-about (or drive-about). We hooked up the trailer (which will forever more be called “Wilbur” instead of “Trailer”) loaded with whatever we felt would be needed over the next 2 weeks with the exception of food we would need to pick up along the way. The dogs were all snuggled in the backseat of the truck & we set about seeing some memorable things along the way to our first stop. We were delayed at a crossing by the cutest little train engine in a small town we passed through – wish I had thought to get a picture. And I loved seeing the draping Spanish moss hanging from the trees – I remember so much of this hanging from oaks as I grew up in Bradenton, FL. But one must be aware of the chiggers!
We arrived at our first campground at about 5 in the evening – KOA in Perry, FL. We were assigned a site in the tree line & got our set up underway. We were scheduled to be there for 3 days so we made it comfortable, like our home away from home. My friend Cyndi Murphy had recently gaven us her “patio” rug so I stretched that out & put the puppy fence up before getting the girls out of the truck. They loved being able to run in & out of Wilbur as I got everything done inside. Perry leveled Wilbur & dropped the “feet” & put the tire grips on while I was doing the other outside stuff. Team work – gets it up & done within 30 minutes! A nice couple from North Carolina stopped by for a quick visit & several others waved & greeted us as we were setting up. I heard camping folk are friendly & these people proved that to us. We had a great dinner in camp & then took the pups for a walk through the park to orient ourselves with the facilities. This campground is a combo of a bit scruffy (long term trailers that have been neglected) to very clean (the bathhouses are immaculate). There were MANY Snowbirds in residence from the variety of license plates we saw. That could be why I had a time making reservations for the various stops on our trip. It didn’t occur to me the northern folks go south in the winter – & I should have known having grown up in Florida.
As we settled into bed & shut off the lights we heard MANY low flying planes overhead. It was very disconcerting! Beyond the tree line is what looks like a dirt runway or a recently smoothed dirt road. No planes were overhead during daylight hours so my imagination kicked in with images of drug runners & worse! Scary stuff for a first night with two more to go! We eventually fell asleep & it got chilly in Wilbur during the night!
Thursday, February 18, 2016
Wilbur was not cold for long – our little space heater warmed it up quickly. We do have a gas heater built in but choose not to use it if we are hooked up to electricity. We paid for the campsite & will use what that includes when possible – frugal we are & proud of it! Before we left home, Perry fried up a big package of our favorite bacon which we froze in a ziplock bag. It is so convenient to just take out a couple of slices for morning breakfast & heat it in the microwave instead of frying it on the stove, splattering grease & smelling up Wilbur. Add an egg & toast & we are happy campers! We used the bathhouses &, I must say, the shower was perfect! We took the pups for another walk around the park & admired the multitude & variety of travel trailers & motor homes that fill the place up.
Then we put the pups in Wilbur & set out in the truck to find WalMart for food & other things. I am not a fan of WalMart & I don’t really know why – perhaps because it’s too big or maybe because of all the stories of “those WalMart people” that look & act strangely. Anyway, we needed to get a variety of things in addition to food so that’s where we went. It wasn’t until we were nearly done that I spotted one of “those WalMart people” in the flesh! It was a big guy with black shorts drooping halfway down his butt & a tight white t-shirt that stopped above his waistline. At least 6 inches of his plumber’s crack was on display. All I could think was I couldn’t erase this visual from my mind! I started laughing hysterically & pulled out my cell phone to snap a picture but Perry put the kibosh to that. Darn it! We also saw a tiny little lady dressed hat to shoes in blood red formal wear. Yes, the stories are true – WalMart is full of characters!
We returned to the campsite & visited with a couple out of Canada who are traveling around the country. This is their first long adventure so we shared ideas, solutions to minor problems & the like. Then we watched a movie & took a nap. We had BBQ sandwiches & leftover veggies from the previous night’s meal. We fell asleep hoping the planes would stay away during the night.
Friday, February 19, 2016
We heard no planes dive bombing us during the night – they either took a break from operations or we were so tired we didn’t hear them. The morning was not as chilly as it was the day before but we turned the little space heater on low to warm us up. When I started the coffee maker, everything connected to a power outlet went off! Perry was out walking the dogs but got right on the problem when he returned. Yes, coffee (or the lack thereof) is a motivator! We kind of had to guess where the fuse box was & then figure out how to remove the cover. We did have replacement fuses with us & were prepared to replace whatever was needed. But it turned out a breaker just had to be reset. Note to self: Do NOT run the heater at the same time as the coffee maker & the microwave. I’m sure all the other things we had connected added to the problem – my computer, Nook, rechargeable flashlight & the like. Oh well, lesson learned & no blood was shed.
On our WalMart adventure, we bought a little Panini maker so we could make toast without lighting the oven (which we still have not figured out how to do). That proved successful so I used the Panini maker to make tuna sandwiches for lunch. Pretty cool – but I think I like my cold (or room temp) tuna sandwich better than a warm one. Perry liked them though.
We took a tour of the little city of Perry & visited the old train station which has been turned into shops. I bought a great cookbook by the Garden Club from one & Perry got us coffee at another. That was some GREAT coffee! There’s a museum of sorts near the campsite with an old plantation house & various historic structures throughout the grounds so we walked the dogs around a bit & admired the peaceful setting. We even came upon a tree that was planted from a seed a former astronaut took into space. It looked like any other tree.
When we got back from our “walk-about” we had a good chat with one of our fellow campers about her adventures. She’s a single woman in her late 50s who travels all over the US as a medical therapist. She has her two dogs (one is a beautiful basset hound & the other is a wiry little “whatever”) & a very little A-Frame camper. Her home is in Washington State so she came a LONG way for this job. She leaves next week for another stint in Arizona. Can you imagine the life? Freedom & fear – she creates & solves her own. AWESOME!
Earlier in the day, I seasoned & marinated some chicken meat & Perry grilled them while I made veggies & a salad. It was a quiet evening & peaceful . An early to bed night. New adventures on the road planned for the following day!
Saturday, February 20, 2016
We spent way too much time getting ready to hit the road. A rethinking of our travel days needs to be worked out for sure. We were on the road to Venice at noon though & enjoyed the ride through the various small towns the GPS on my phone took us. We stopped in the parking lot of WalMart in one small town & had lunch since we weren’t on the interstate with its amazing rest stops. Seems that WalMart is the popular spot for camper people to stop for lunch. There were many big rigs there, too, so maybe that is “the thing”. When I get back to Barrow County, maybe we will make it a new practice to pack a picnic lunch & go to the nearest WalMart parking lot to have it & meet all sorts of new friends. We have since found out WalMart, along with Home Depot & other Big Box Stores, allow overnight stays by campers & truck drivers in their parking lots. Cool!
We also noted that trucks towing boats in Florida have a little different load. Instead of regular fishing boats, they haul air boats. I’ve always been fascinated by those. Imagine having a giant fan at your back pushing you at a high rate of speed across the water while you pray it doesn’t suck you into the blades & make you gator bait. Fun times, I’m sure. Our next “treat” on the road south was getting though the wild traffic & acrobatic overpasses that were “supposed” to keep us out of Tampa traffic. We skirted the upper side of Tampa & still experienced traffic that was crazier than in Atlanta. Of course, towing a travel trailer may have been a factor in my anxiety. Still, I didn’t like it one little bit. If there had been a bar in sight, I would have stopped for a stiff drink – & I don’t drink! Once we got on I-75 it was smooth sailing. The campground of our destination was just off the interstate about a mile or three down the road. And it was a beauty! Lush lawns, perfect flower beds & tons of palm trees! There were also LOTS of people & trailers of every description crammed in like sardines! This was Rambler’s Rest in Venice. They put us in the tiniest space in the park which turned out to be quite nice. We were angled in so that Wilbur’s door opened to a view of a lovely pond. It was pretty close to the water’s edge so I made a mental note to watch closely as I walked about out there – didn’t want to fall in. One of the neighbors came by as soon as he saw our pups to warn us of the 6 & 12 foot gators that call this pond home. WHAT?!? So, maybe the lovely spot was not so grand after all! I watched my girls like a crazy woman making sure my ShihTzus did not become gator bait! After a great dinner of BBQ pork steaks, a short walk over to check out the VERY nice bathhouses, & a cup of tea, it was time to crawl in bed & begin my dreams of Crocodile Dundee.
Sunday, February 21, 2016
A beautiful day dawned over the little pond outside Wilbur’s door. No sightings of the gators – but we did have another neighbor warn us of them when she saw the dogs. She had been at this campground two weeks & only saw one of them, sunning itself on the opposite side of the pond. Disturbing! My girls had parents on high alert when they were outside.
When using the bathhouse, I heard a man’s voice inside the room. YIKES! I’m thankful for full size, lockable doors. It turns out he was in there to assist his wife who appeared to be declining in physical strength. My heart went out to the both of them as it made me remember my in-law’s struggles at the end of Alice’s earthly life. Ray was so devoted & loving as he assisted her during their final visit to Hanging Dog Campground, their lifelong favorite place. She was using a walker by then. Very different than their normal life well into their early 80s where it was difficult to keep up with them on hikes & such. I guess this is a reality to many as time marches on. <sigh> I’m nearly 58 & Perry is 61 now. I’m hoping we have lots of active, fun years ahead of us. We did discuss the Snowbirds swarming Florida yesterday & then were shocked when we realized we were THEM! And we laughed!
We drove up to Bradenton for the day, my hometown. Our first stop was to my Grandmother’s grave at Bethany Baptist Church, way out in the country near Parish. Grandma Ethel was the only adult who I KNEW, without a doubt, loved me unconditionally & I loved her back. She would play cards with me & we’d shell peas & catch dragon flies together. And she smelled of cinnamon sugar & gingerbread. I miss her so much! My older brother’s ashes are buried next to her so I took a picture of his grave marker, too. Next was a visit to The Shake Shack on Manatee Avenue. We got some hot dogs but they don’t permit dogs even in the open air patio so we went scouting for a picnic spot. We ended up having our lunch at the tables up the stairs of the old courthouse in downtown. Great observation point! Then we headed out to 75th Street & the big Catholic Church. I was not raised Catholic nor was anyone else in my family but my step-sister Tammy had the ashes of my father & his second wife (Tammy’s mother) scattered there upon their deaths. It’s a beautiful, serene place & I am thankful Tammy honored them in such a way.
We drove by Ballard School which was Ballard Elementary where I went to school. The building looked “modernized” a bit but still has much of the charm of its pre 1900s structure. We went across Humpback Bridge & I told Perry about climbing under there to catch minnows & see alligators. Once, while under the bridge with a friend, we heard a car stop above & then saw a Pelican with a broken neck thrown into the bushes near us. I never knew if the car had hit & killed the bird on the road above or what the story was but it was scary to two little girls. We stopped in front of the house I lived in on 6th Avenue during my middle & high school years. The slanted rock wall with the address formed in it is still there. The house is way different but still pretty. Just down the street & into an alleyway is where Elvis lived for a short time with his mother, aunt & cousin, Paul Morgan. This was WAY before my time but I remember the place & it was still standing. I wonder if the current owners know Elvis lived there in his youth. When I was in my late teens, I went to Elvis’ last concert in Tampa with Paul Morgan’s family (I was Paul & Pam’s children’s babysitter) & met The King in his dressing room. He was nice but large, sweaty & old to my teen eyes. If only I had asked for a picture or even an autograph. <sigh>
We returned to the campsite & the smell of Beer Stew in the crockpot, another of my Freezer to Crockpot meals I brought alone on our adventure. After that great dinner it was time for a movie & then lights out.
Monday, February 22, 2016
Thank goodness there were still no alligators in sight in the pond by our trailer. But the friendly people who stopped by to chat (EVERYONE seemed so nice & social) continued to warn us that our ShihTzus would be a great appetizer for Mr Gator & family. We remained vigilant.
We needed to do some laundry & the wash room was located next to the bathhouse – very convenient. But the resort requires you use one of their cards to start the machines. No quarter machines. Perry went to the office & got the card & the woman there even loaded it for 3 wash & dries, free of charge. Rambler’s Rest was a NICE place! While getting the wash started, lots of folks were in & out & it was great fun chatting with so many travelers! Also, I was using my own Sweet Tea’s Clothes Cream so several people asked about it. I gave them my website info & they will be ordering some themselves. This made me laugh. Sales on the road!
A woman out of Pennsylvania said she & her husband camped at various military bases along the way down south. I didn’t even know these things existed but have since checked them out. Many have BEAUTIFUL camping parks with full facilities & are unbelievably inexpensive to active duty & retired individuals. I am so thankful Perry is a retired Navy man! This opens up even more travel / planning possibilities! One of the gentleman who stopped by our campsite to talk a bit said he & his wife go to flea markets & estate sales & then she sells on Ebay. They make enough to pay for their stay at the various parks & travel between 10 – 11 months of the year. Pretty neat idea but I’m just not on that page at this time in my life. I love Statham far too much to want to be away for long stretches. And I would so miss Robby, Lisa & Lily. Nope, home is Statham. But we are enjoying the travel.
We shopped a little at WalMart to replenish supplies & get set for our next stop, Key West, where prices will be higher. I did not see any of “those WalMart people” on this trip but I was looking! Then we took the pups for a stroll through the park & let them meet the ABUNDANCE of ShihTzus that seem to be the preferred dog breed. There were a couple of Cocker Spaniels & Golden Retrievers & even a poodle & a few mixed breeds. But the majority, by far, are ShihTzus. So, the girls made friends while we chatted with the owners. One little boy said there was a baby gator over by the drain pipe & seemed really disappointed when we wouldn’t go look with him. Not one of the adults he spoke to wanted to go see – poor kid. After dinner we settled down with another of Perry’s vast collection of movies & made it an early night. The next day will be more travel so we wanted to rest up first.
Tuesday, February 23, 2016
A Murphy bed is a fabulous thing when it comes to creating space in a small room. Just lift it into the wall on its swivel base & lock it into place. Viola, you have the space where there was once a queen sized bed &, in our case, a comfortable couch is revealed. However, Wilbur has built-ins all down the side – drawers & cabinets for hanging cloths, etc. This forces me to have to crawl off the bed at its end (sometimes in the dark of night for a potty break) &, because the bed sits high to go over the top of the couch, it’s a miracle I don’t fall flat on my butt! During the night my getting back into bed in the dark was an issue. I crawled up on the bed & went to pull the curtain back into place (Perry is on the other bed along with his snoring & the curtain between us muffles the sounds) when I lost my balance & nearly fell backwards. I shifted sideways &, instead, my hip landed solidly on the edge of the cabinet beside the bed. I am proud to say I did not make a peep so Perry wouldn’t be awakened but the bruise on my butt was seriously colorful, filling in by the minute. Sheesh!
Perry takes the dogs for a walk first thing in the morning & I make up the bed & start getting things strapped down on top so it can be lifted back into place. (ALL of our bedding & pillows, etc., are tucked away without taking up space elsewhere.) Now, because one can not walk along the side of the bed, it’s necessary to get ON the bed to make it up. So, there I was, alone in the trailer, crawling around to flatten the sheets & cover when I found myself at the top of the bed. And the bed began to lift into the wall! YIKES! I threw myself toward the end of the bed just in the nick of time! Perry walked back in at that very moment, looked at my body sprawled across the bed & was surely wondering if I had decided to go back to sleep with my head at the foot of the bed. I chose not to explain my latest near disaster, got up & completed my bed making task but at a safe distance from the head of the bed. Once the resy of the morning chores were done we were off to Key West.
What a drive! Long & slow – rain, traffic & the ENDLESS road that leads to Key West. But, once we hit US1, the rain disappeared & we were treated to views of the most beautiful waters on earth – much of the time on both sides of the road! Of course, we drove over so many bridges connecting the islands that was to be expected. On our way back to the mainland a few days later, I intended to count every single bridge we crossed but forgot. Once we arrived on Key West it was no problem finding Boyd’s Campground where we had reservations. The entrance is very pretty but this place is all about big business & making money. Campers are parked like sardines in an overfilled tin! We managed to get the trailer extension all the way out in our assigned spot but it was nearly touching a palm tree & the awning on the other side couldn’t be extended all the way because of another palm tree. Not what I had expected for the ginormous amount this place charges, nor would I recommend this place to anyone going to Key West. However, the fellow campers were awesome! They helped Perry get directed into the space which I am POSITIVE I would have never been able to do. They greeted us & chatted & were so very friendly. We set up so late that we decided to drive over to a cute little Pizza Parlor we had seen on our way in. What a fantastic pizza it was & the ambiance was perfect. We went to bed as soon as we got back to Wilbur.
Wednesday, February 24, 2016
There were roosters! BEAUTIFUL, big, colored roosters everywhere! And they let us know day was dawning. My pups had never heard roosters crow so they made a big fuss which just made me laugh as I was waking up. Perry didn’t see it as funny – which made me laugh more. The pups had a walk-about & got their breakfast done. The preparation of our full, cooked breakfast each day is kind of fun. It’s not what we usually do at home but it may become “the thing” when we get back. That & the morning news would have been fantastic.I long to watch Robin Roberts on Good Morning America. Again, my expectations of this campground were diminished when their advertised “Free Wi-Fi” wouldn’t connect. <sigh> They also offered cable hook-up but, unfortunately, we were not successful in our quest to connect it. SOOOO disappointed.
We took the pups for a walk to see the other trailers & motor homes. Some go ALL out with their creativity while others are much more sedate. We gleaned a few ideas on set up & laughed over the outrageousness of others. It’s hard to describe some of this stuff. In addition to the abundance of roosters, there were a large amount of wild iguanas rooming the resort. Goodness those creatures are gigantic & scary! I took pictures of one on a picnic table by the lake & it was so long it draped over both sides! We steered clear of those things!
We drove down to the tourist area of Key West & walked about for a bit. We had our picture taken at the “Southern Most” monument & shopped in a couple of little boutiques. My feet were not happy in sandals so it was a short shopping trip. Here’s a few interesting things we saw while out & about: 1) A man on a motorcycle that had bike petals, huffing & puffing down the road – strange contraption; 2) A group of five or so woman “of the gray haired age” riding recumbent bikes while dressed in black leather & the like (biker babes all the same); 3) A bar on Key Largo with the name “Woody’s Gentleman’s Club” – no need to say more about the clientele; & 4) An abundance of tandem bikes with a wide assortment of riders dressed in the most entertaining costumes I’ve ever seen. I love the unexpected & the opportunity to people watch. Key West was heaven to me! A storm kicked up late in the day & we hunkered down for the night. Spice was a frightened mess.
Thursday, February 25, 2016
We bought a Magic Bullet while out checking the sites & I made fruit smoothies for breakfast. I have a Bullet at home but confiscated it for use in my Soap Studio long ago. The cookbook that came along with the machine had many clever & quick ideas for all sorts of drinks & food! Experimenting will be “The Thing.”
Robby stopped by our house in Statham to check on it’s security & the cats. We have a “RING” doorbell now & can talk to whomever comes up on our porch, whether they ring the bell or not. It shows the current activity immediately, VERY crisply AND records everything to our Cloud account. One can not tell if we are in the house or hundreds of miles away. We will add another to the back door soon. Oh, it also has infrared capabilities so we can even see anyone who approaches the house at night! The security system works but we wanted actual video. So, it was nice talking to Robby when he rang the bell as well as have the opportunity to “test” the system.
We had a yummy lunch at The Stoned Crab. Perry wanted fish, shrimp, crab & oysters while in the Keys. He got them all even if the “oysters” were of the cracker variety. Then we headed to downtown Key West to see a couple museums & do some shopping. It only took us a few minutes to realize Perry’s truck was WAY too big to park in such crowded quarters. We refer to this situation as “butt-pucker parking.” We were both getting anxious so we changed our minds & headed back up the highway onto the other islands where we stopped at cute stores. We saw some old guys on motorcycles – maybe 7 or 8 white haired men all decked out in their black leather & bandanas instead of helmets – & Perry said they were the notorious Geritol Gang. He said no one over the age of 61 should be allowed to ride a motorcycle – cracks me up because he (61) & his two older brothers ride their Harleys regularly & act just like these fellas. We made a quick stop at Publix for supplies & I took note of the Island Reggie music playing over the speakers. I think EVERYONE in the store was dancing, or at least twitching, to the beat. Young men with dreadlocks & older women in aprons – everyone was having their spirits lifted. Kudos to Publix on Key West! Our goal was to be as laid back as possible, not allow stress into the mix. It turned out to be a beautiful, relaxing day!
Back in Wilbur, the dogs must have slept all day because they were wild & so happy to see us upon our return. I made dinner & as Perry was doing the dishes (it’s a trade-off) water started running into the room from the shower stall. It appears the gray water release was not open so the tank was overflowing. Perry ran out & switched it on & it only took a few minutes to mop up what had run out. I scrubbed up the bottom of the shower stall & we did a quick load of towels so they won’t have mildew smell when we move on to our next stop. I’m thankful this was only sink water (gray) as opposed to toilet water (black) which is a separate tank completely. THAT would have made this a stressful day.
Friday, February 26, 2016
We got packed up, everything secured, breakfast done, lunch made & in the cooler in the truck & were on the road by 9:30. Very happy about that – but the road off Key West is slow going. It ranges from 55 down to 35 & most of it is a single lane in each direction – it took nearly 2.5 hours to get to the main land. And going over the bridges (including the 7 mile bridge) was frightening with the wind blowing! I was praying we wouldn’t be swept off the side! And then I wondered if others had gotten swept over in the past. Anyone know?
We stopped at a Service Plaza on the Toll Road to have sandwiches & made it to Port Saint Lucie before schedule. But let me talk a little about those toll roads first … they cost a fortune! Most we passed through were $4.75 & I think we hit 6 or 7 there & back. PLUS, much of the way, there were cameras we passed under that had signs saying they mail toll bills. I have no idea how much that will end up being. (Got the bill a few months later – $16 – not bad.) Must be Florida DOT’s way of paying for all those bridges!
Anyway, we set up in Port Saint Lucie RV Park – took about 30 minutes to get it all done. I made smoothies from ice, orange juice, spinach, banana, ginger & turmeric to cool us down. Perry loves it – I think I’ll back off on the ginger for mine in the future. Perry called his brother Paul on Facetime &, while they were talking, the TV & cable service we have not been able to figure out came up in conversation. My most fabulous brother-in-law talked us through setting up the antenna & got us some TV going! Having not seen the news for over a week, we were a bit confused about comments on the debate on FaceBook. NOW we understand! Just WOW!
I marinated some chicken breasts for Perry to grill & added some veggies & a salad to the mix. Eating outside in the shade of the awning is always so pleasant. After dinner we walked around the RV Park & talked to several of the travelers. We also watched a fella back in a 44 foot 5th wheel. I think it was his maiden voyage & he had a lot of trouble getting that thing parked. With the multitude of slide outs, that thing is HUGE! It was only he & his tiny little wife so they have an abundance of room. To each their own. We are happy with our 21’ pull behind named Wilbur. The RV Park was clean, roomy & well kept. The spaces were roomy but there were NO trees for shade. We were only staying overnight so that wasn’t a real concern for us.
Saturday, February 27, 2016
We woke up before 7 but not because of roosters crowing like in Key West. We were just rested well & ready for the day to begin. We watched Good Morning America & had a leisurely breakfast, got showers & then packed up for the ride to St. Augustine. I plugged the address into GPS & off we went. Unfortunately, the darn GPS decided to take us to I-4 & then north to connect to I-95 instead of straight up I-95. This put us on another toll road which cost just shy of $20. Makes one wonder if the Florida DOT has an agreement with GPS?!? Once we got to I-4 the traffic was horrendous! We passed at least 5 accidents before we got out of the city limits of Orlando. That was some serious slow going – about 1.5 hours! We made it without incident – I choose to focus on the positive! Spice learned how to come over the top of the cooler in the backseat & sit on the console between us. Sugar refused to do the same so she sat in the back & talked her heart out about being left alone. Lots of whimpers, squeaks, yips & even barks. I recorded some of it & hope I will be able to add it to my blog.
We got to Compass RV Park in St. Augustine & had a bicycle escort lead us to our site. “Steven” even guided Perry in & got him level. It was a beautiful, roomy, extremely shaded park. Serene would be a good word to describe it. And VERY affordable. Just after setting up, Perry & I went off to have dinner at a Mexican Restaurant & pick up supplies at WalMart. Again I’m amazed & impressed that WalMart allows travel trailers to park over night in their lot. There were probably six when we pulled in. There was a woman outside of one dressed in a bright yellow shirt. I assume she belonged to the trailer she was beside & wasn’t a “Lady of the Night” but I’m not positive. She didn’t have pants on. Perry thinks the yellow top was a bathing suit cover up. Let’s go with that story. Once back in the park, we discovered they had a VERY good band playing in the Pavilion near our spot. Just bring a chair & enjoy! I REALLY liked this park!
Sunday, February 28, 2016
We woke up rested yet again & got the day started. Perry takes the pups out for a walk while I get the bed straightened out & all the pillows & covers from the other strapped on. Then it’s lifted into place & the couch popped up. The table is raised in the dinette & our living quarters are roomy again! I made bacon, eggs & toast for breakfast & Perry cleaned up the dishes. We got our showers & then set about getting ready for company. Travel trailers were moving out during the morning but more moved in during the afternoon. Lots of folks were walking about, stopping to visit & we loved talking to each of them.
My fav brother-in-law Paul, & his wife Cyndi, drove down from Jacksonville to spend the day with us! They have a larger travel trailer & are very experienced campers. Paul showed Perry some tricks with the hoses he wasn’t aware of & Cyndi showed me how to light the stove so I could add casseroles & such to my camp cooking abilities. But for this visit, I made potato salad, sautéed zucchini & yellow squash, a fresh green salad & marinated steaks Perry cooked on the grill. It was delish! It was topped with blueberry pie & ice cream Cyndi brought with her. We sat around the fire & talked into the evening, enjoying our family time. Their three Pomeranians provided great company for our girls, too. After they left, we had intended to watch the Oscars but couldn’t get that channel on our TV. Sad, very sad! So, we “retired” early & got a wonderful night’s sleep.
Monday, February 29, 2016
We still couldn’t get the channel with Good Morning America on our TV so we watched The Today Show for info on the Oscar winners. That sure was more pleasant than the news on the political clowns. I find myself hitting the “mute” button when anything concerning the Presidential race comes on – it’s dirty & mean & embarrassing! Lord, help us!
After breakfast & showers, Perry & I set out to wander the streets of Historic Saint Augustine. Yes, we left the pups alone to guard Wilbur & sleep all day. We stopped at the cutest little Bistro & had lunch & leisurely browsed in nearly every boutique in the old town. We bought some things for Lily Bug – she asked for a shell & we got her the perfect one. The little Princess has a few other treasures coming her way from Pops & Honey, too. We also ran across a sign maker & had him create a special plaque for the puppy fence at our campsite. We will hang it on the “door” so we know where to enter more easily. Plus it’s so perfectly unique with Sugar & Spice’s pictures on it! As the sign was being made we had a delicious cup of coffee from a tiny little store near the fountain. Unfortunately, while we sat in the garden enjoying people watching, the obnoxious odor of a bad smelling cigar wafted around us & finally drove us away. ICK! We wandered into a few more stores & taste tested alligator jerky in one. ICK! The hour was getting late & we moved over to a bench near the wood carver’s shop to wait for the sign to be completed. Most of the boutiques had closed up so the multitude of squirrels overhead had only the two of us to throw thing at. From a girl who had a very bad encounter with a squirrel at an early age, let it be known the tree rats scare the heck out of me to this day. That wait in the nearly empty alley seemed to take FOREVER! But the plaque turned out perfectly!
The pups were more than happy to see us arrive back at the campsite & “said” they loved their sign, too! I had Beef Tips cooking in the crockpot & the smell in Wilbur upon our arrival was so homey! As we snuggled down for our final night of vacation only happy memories entered my dreams.
Tuesday, March 1, 2016
It was time to return home. We packed up Wilbur, said goodbye to a few fellow campers & turned the truck’s nose north. Spice was happy laying on the console between us but Sugar continued to present a problem. After trying several different arrangements that would not require me to hold her for hours on end, causing my arm to spasm & wrist to go to sleep, we finally got her settled on a blanket folded up between me & the door. She was able to watch the world slip by & have me pet her the entire trip home. One MUST keep the little darlings happy. The road home from St Augustine was the longest drive time of all our days of travel. We passed through so many little towns they began to run together yet each was unique & quaint & warming to see.
We got home just in time to go vote – not that it did any good. Later I took a long, relaxing bath in the jets. Awwwwwwh! I needed that. Perry & I both fell asleep quickly in our cozy house with a slew of happily purring cats who were glad to see us return.
A Footnote: We find ourselves checking out the other trailers, admiring the different shapes & sizes & the various accruements that make them unique. We have discovered campers are MOST helpful to one another & VERY friendly. It’s still foreign territory to me as I am still attached to my personal space & privacy. However, I am enjoying this new life very much. Living in close quarters is challenging & being together 24/7 has its moments. I still find I am enjoying the experience. I look forward to many more adventures with Perry in this travel trailer we call Wilbur.