GOOD BYE TO FLORIDA Feb. 15-18, 2014

Our last weekend in Florida we spent near Safety Harbor to spend a little more time with Emily and Steve. We had a wonderful campsite for Saturday night at Bay Bayou, out in an open field with trees all around but not near the water and bugs. We set up camp and then went over to Rumba for dinner and were so surprised to find S&E waiting for us there!  Such a fun night, double drinks during happy hour, so two sangrias for me, two margaritas for PK. 

Sunday was a beautiful day and perfect timing to kayak out to the bay launching from a park in Oldsmar.  Steve took all his fishing gear and headed out, the three of us went more slowly especially as we were trying to avoid the sandbar as the tide was going out.  But that was our plan, go out with the tide, stay out in the bay till it turned, then come back in with the tide. Very fun, lots of time spent paddling out of low areas but such a gorgeous paddle. 

Emily and I spent the rest of the afternoon enjoying her membership at the Safety Harbor Spa, just a little ways from her house. What fun to sit outside by the pool, till the wind came up; then we went inside for the jacuzzi, steam room, and sauna.  After two hours we were definitely relaxed and ready for dinner. PK had gone to the Flea Market for one last time looking for kayak supplies and then moved the MH to a parking lot nearby.  It was a holiday weekend and we hadn't been able to find a campsite for Sunday night that was close enough to Emily's so we spent our first night "boondocking"!

We were up by 5:30 the next morning and on the road to St. Augustine for the next two nights. We stopped at a Cracker Barrel parking area to make some breakfast, then took a new route off of I-75 onto Highway 318 east towards St. A. Going along the highway I saw the sign for a turnoff to the Marjorie Rawlins Historic State Park, the author of The Yearling. It was only a 6 mile drive out to the park so we took the moment to go and visit.

 The park is celebrating "The Year of The Yearling",  75 years since Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings received the Pulitzer Prize for the book in 1939.  We parked the RV and walked back in time to the 1930s farm where she lived for 25 years and her her prize-winning novel.

 We met the docent, dressed in period clothing, as we got near the house. She was scraping paint off the siding and chatted with us for a bit filling us in on the home and life here in the 30s.  Though the house wasn't open to walk through that day, the windows were wide open and easy to peer into every room.

 It's been restored and preserved as it was when she lived there.

 In 2007, the house and farm yard was designated as a National Historic Landmark.

 We were the only ones there that morning so we just wandered all around the grounds

 including this beautiful barn. About an hour later we were back on the highway arriving at the Elks Lodge in St. Augustine by noon. I love that PK is always so flexible and willing to turn around so we can see sights like this as we're driving, even if making a U-turn with a MH isn't so easy!

 Monday afternoon we found a beautiful hike at the Moses Creek Conservation Area. I thought it was going to be a paved bike path, but once we saw the muddy dirt trails we left the bikes on the car and walked on into the woods.

 It's one of the few remaining undeveloped tidal regions in the area and was a beautiful walk.  There is primitive camping in the park but we didn't get that far.

 We were staying a second night at the Elks and spent the next day at the beach.  I did a little Consignment shopping/laundry (they are side by side, so convenient) before we drove down to one of the beautiful beaches for a couple of hours in the sun.

We did a bit of shopping before getting back for dinner at the RV. Our last night in Florida... till next year.