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.

RV DREAMS BOONDOCKING RALLY Feb 11-15, 2014

After our weekend at the Sarasota Elks and a one night stay at Lake Manatee State Park (pretty but not good for kayaking) we drove south to join the RV Dreams Boondocking Rally held at Ft. Ogden, just east of Port Charlotte, FL.  It turned out to be  perfect timing for us to spend the 4 days just 80 miles south of Sarasota on a big open field with about 30 other RVs. I have been following Howard and Linda Payne's RV Dreams blog for several years using so many of their ideas and locations for our full time life on the road. Since they were spending a week so close to us, we knew it would be fun to finally meet them and learn more about "dry camping" or boondocking; how to best use your resources when camping without any utilities. The rally began on Sunday and we joined in on Tuesday afternoon, got our house set up and met many of the others that night at a campfire. 

Wednesday morning we met under a huge oak tree for a couple hours of wonderful tips and information about camping without using hook ups. Howard and Linda are both so knowledgeable and full of suggestions relating their 9 years of experience traveling full time in their 5th wheel.  By the end of the morning Paul was feeling so much more comfortable with the idea of boondocking on BLM land or in forest service sites than he had been before.

 It was a great time to ask questions and learn as much as we could. We had campfires in the middle of the field each night and were up early each morning for breakfast at the Solo Cafe. The cafe is set up right outside one of the motorhomes of the five women traveling solo in their rigs who prepare fabulous breakfast dishes for the group each morning at 9:00. Fellow campers donate supplies, the gals do the cooking and bar tending.  A very fun way to get the day started!
 
 One important element of boondocking is the use of the generator on the RV.  Well, since we usually  have electric power at all the parks we stay, we hadn't turned on the generator other than starting it up when we first got the motorhome in October.  Needless to say, when we pushed the generator button, it wouldn't fire up.  So, with the help of 2 other great guys, Pk worked most of Wednesday afternoon to get it working once again.  Thank goodness it turned out to be an easy fix: the carburetors needed cleaning, it worked perfectly the rest of the time we were there.

While Paul had been getting us up and running Wednesday afternoon, Howard had a meeting at the Code Enforcement Office in town. He had been told that a permit was needed to hold a gathering this size, even if it was on someone's private property. We gathered in the field when he returned with the "not so good news" that we were told we needed to move off the field by noon on Thursday.  Since this was so unexpected, and moving all 30 of us to another camp site was a bit difficult, we looked at lots of different options.  After about an hour of talk it was decided we would each make our own plans for Thursday night and then meet up again together early Friday morning a the Babcock-Web Wildlife Management Area just a few miles south of where we were.  Pk and I were planning to find a local Elks Lodge to spend the night.  But, just as we were breaking up, someone from Code Enforcement drove out to the property to tell us they had changed their decision and we could stay through the weekend.  Such a huge relief!!!!! No packing up and moving, just time to relax the rest of the afternoon. That evening 13 of us went out for dinner at Peace River Seafood and Crab Shack. It was pouring rain when we arrived and we snuggled into a tiny room for dinner, but a little too pricey for the food we got.

Thursday morning we met under the oak tree once again and continued the talk about dry camping.  We were really interested in Howard's information about Internet use on the road…it was just what we needed to learn!!! He's found some wonderful services out there that we'll probably do later on to provide us with more access for less money.  That was worth the whole week here.

Friday morning started as usual with breakfast at the Solo Cafe then a group of us went off to see the property that Howard and Linda are thinking of purchasing and turning into a Co-op RV Park right along the Peace River.  Paul decided to stay and work on the MH, I joined the group for a fun outing. Once we  were back and had lunch we packed up the kayak and caravanned over to the other side of the river to launch at the Nav-A-Gator ramp. What a perfect afternoon! A few crocodile sightings and just a lovely paddle down the river.  Coming back we had the wind against us so a little more work for PK, but such fun. We both love this new kayak!!!

We did a quick run to Wal Mart to pick up more supplies for the dinner that night, and got totally lost returning to the camping area.  Neither of us had phones, and no map, so we ended up making a wrong turn onto the freeway and added about 45 min to our drive back.

We got back just as dinner was getting set out on the tables in the middle of the field. It was Valentine's Day so we had balloons and tables cloths to brighten it all up!

The owner of the property, Ed, had roasted a pig and smoked a ham for our dinner, fantastic!!!

The table was filled with wonderful dishes shared by everyone. One of our most memorable Valentine's Day parties ever.

To top off the evening a gorgeous full moon rose over the cow pasture.

We ended the evening with another warm and toasty campfire, Paul joined the group sitting outside watching the film Young Frankenstein with Gene Wilder, I visited with some of the women I'd met that week.

We didn't stay through the end of the weekend, but planned to leave Saturday. We enjoyed our breakfast outside once again and then had lots of fun for the next two hours with a "Show and Tell" session.  It was a chance to learn from others in the group on little gadgets they've found useful when traveling in an RV.  Paul brought a bucket full of things to share and we both walked away with knew ideas.  For me it was the "Wonderbag" a new slow cooker bag that doesn't use any electricity.  And, when you order one from Amazon, one is also sent to a family in Africa. Cant wait to order one!

By the time we said our good byes to all the new friends we'd made, and got us packed up we finally pulled out for the drive back to Clearwater about 2:30.  I drove ahead in the car to meet up with Emily at Olde Bayside Cafe in Dunedin while PK got us parked at Bay Bayou RV Park in wonderful site. We were spending the weekend with Emily and Steve before leaving Florida on Monday.

FROM CAMPGROUND TO CRUISE SHIP February 3 - 10, 2014

Finding state park campsites during February is a challenge, so I had made reservations several months ago for the parks near Sarasota. I couldn't get 2 full weeks but I did get us a couple days at three different parks giving us a chance to see new parks in new areas. After leaving the beautiful Oscar Scherer Park, we moved only 50 miles northeast to Little Manatee River State Park.  An easy drive and the campground is set off the main road so it's quiet with only 31 sites. We had four nights reserved though we ended up staying only three.

We had plenty of road ways for riding bikes but the best part was the nearby put in for our kayak.  I'm so sad I didn't get any photos, I didn't carry my phone for our 2 trips out on the Little Manatee River but what fun it was!!! Using a river map we were able to move in and out of the little waterways; hardly anyone else on the river so we just paddled along looking for wildlife. Owls swooped over us  as we left the beach and later we spotted one alligator sunning himself on the bank. I think I'm beginning to feel more comfortable seeing the gators, as long as there's a good distance between us. We had a sunny first day and the second time we went it was cloudy and cooler but still a wonderful ride.

Foster had a long walk with us out to a small lake the morning we were leaving, and he's always glad to get back to the motorhome and a rest. He's been such a wonderful traveler, even though those moving days are still hard for him.

We did leave the park one day early because we had a wonderful opportunity to enjoy a 24 hour cruise experience on the brand new NCL Breakaway, leaving from Miami that Friday. Paul had signed up several years ago as a Cruise Agent with a company and we received an email invitation to join other agents for a one night trip completely FREE! Since we were in Florida we decided, why not???? A chance like this doesn't come along very often. The only thing was to make some changes in our plans: get the motorhome to the Sarasota Elks Lodge and find a home for Foster for 2 days. Once that was done, we got up Friday morning at 4AM and made the drive from Sarasota to Miami, about a 4 hour drive. Thank goodness we left early, there was all kinds of traffic congestion near the port, so it took almost an hour to move about 8 miles.  But we were parked and looking at the ship by 9:30.

Being so early, we were only the 2nd couple in line…amazing!!! And they let us board, so we actually got two hours more than most who did the regular noon time boarding. So FUN!!!

Because this event was to showcase the beauty of the ship for sales agents, all the suites and exclusive areas were open for viewing.  We toured all the rooms to see what it looks like when you have the best and biggest rooms on the ship. The suites were gorgeous, with very modern design and beautiful balcony views.  The color scheme throughout the ship is turquoise and chocolate brown.

We had lunch in one of the dining rooms, it  was much more intimate than on other cruise ships, with beautiful colors and design. We loved having dinner in the larger main dining room where a latin band was playing and a dance floor available. The ship will carray 4000 passengers, has 18 different bar/lounges, 3 complimentary dining areas and many specialty restaurants and so much more!!!

Outside we headed to the waterslides, Paul chose the purple slide, the "slowest" rather than the free fall slide that would take you only 6 seconds to get to the bottom.

I think he was only one of a handful of people who tried the slides and he went down three times!

Rather than the slides, I liked finding the beautiful private pool area, The Haven Courtyard.  It is reserved for those guests staying in the suites with balconies. Loved the chaise lounges IN the pool

and the sun deck above the pool area with the unique sun shades.

While we were up there we noticed a man being interviewed and Paul recognized him as the CEO of NCL from watching a TV special, Undercover Boss. We said hello and got a photo.

The ship has so many unusual things to do, and one was a half hour visit to the Ice Bar.  We had forgotten to reserve a visit but just as we were asking about it, someone had a cancellation and gave us their tickets, so in we went.  We were given fur lined hooded parkas and gloves to keep warm.  Everything inside is carved of ice and there are a variety of vodka drinks to choose from to help stay warm.  I loved it!!! Club music playing, such a fun experience.

The ship sailed out of the harbor at 9PM with tons of fireworks shooting off, and dancing everywhere. Then we headed to the theater to  see the Broadway Musical, Legally Blond. We were up till about 2 AM just walking around seeing as much as we could before a little sleep and off at 9 that morning.  What a kick!!!

It was a beautiful Friday to drive back to Sarasota so we took the smaller Tamiami Trail, Highway 41 through the Everglades. Top down on the car, beautiful scenery, and a stop at the Visitor Center to look at alligators from a boardwalk. We also checked out the campground in the park with plans to stay next winter.

We picked up Foster that afternoon, then stayed 2 more nights at our Elks campsite. We ended the weekend watching the Beatles 50 Year Tribute, perfect for me!!!! What a week!

OSCAR SCHERER STATE PARK Jan 27 - Feb. 2, 2014

It was only a 75 mile move from Clearwater RV Park to the Oscar Scherer State Park but it took much longer than planned due to an unexpected detour off the freeway, only 10 miles away from the park.  Pieces of concrete from a freeway overpass had fallen onto the I-75 causing the need to reroute the southbound traffic.  Once we saw the mess of traffic slowed to a crawl, I was able to get the info and make driving changes thanks to access on the iPad. So, doing the smaller streets we finally arrived at the park about 3:30. We had site #37 for 5 nights but luckily we were able to get two more nights later in the week to make a wonderful stay from Monday through the following Sunday. 

The park is located right along Sarasota's Legacy Trail with an easy entrance on the east side of the park. It is one of our favorite kind, "rails to trails", so we are off all main streets into the beautiful natural Florida environment.

Its a very well used trail with walkers, leisure bikers like us and also racing bikers using the 10 miles between Sarasota and Venice. Our first day we rode south to the old Venice RR Depot, now a history museum.

The trail has benches for resting, markers describing information of local interest and distance markers to reflect location in case of an emergency.  Just a fantastic ride, even with the soaring bridge over the highway!!! We did continue on along the waterway for another couple of miles before turning back for home. What a gorgeous day to be on our bikes.

Riding back into the Oscar Scherer Park we stopped to look for the local alligator said to reside in the park lake. All we found was this sign:

and this lovely, though very empty Lake Osprey.

We had a few chilly/rainy days so we took advantage of a little Consignment Store-Thrift Store shopping, my new hobby! We learned that the Goodwill shop in Venice is referred to as "Macy's on the Island" by the locals.  Lots of fun finds, especially a new light rain jacket for me, and a lovely wooden salad bowl set.

We'd had some brake problems on our way down from Clearwater so our week here also gave us a chance to have the brakes on the motorhome replaced while we were in the area, costly but necessary!

Friday we had so much fun with the local Jazz Club of Sarasota attending the jam session held at the Unitarian Universalist Church. Amazingly talented jazz musicians performed with a back up trio or, as in this photo, with a larger group. It couldn't have been better; fabulous jazz classics while looking out at a lovely enclosed garden. The Jazz Club presents music most Friday afternoons at 2:00 during the high season. How I wished we would have been in the area longer; we'd go to these every week!

We went back to the bike trails several times changing our direction and changing the views.

Always beautiful, some days less crowded than others.

I loved this combo of the Legacy Trail sign near the old RR crossing bar.

These little kiosks were all along the way with local train stops listed on the side.

The weekend brought sunnier skies and warmer days so it was time to put our new SnapOn kayak to use in South Creek, a backwater stream that flows to the Gulf of Mexico. PK's idea of transporting the 3 pieces of the kayak in the basket that attaches to our hitch worked out perfectly!!!

Once we got the 3 pieces snapped together it was time to put into the water and enjoy a lovely day on the river. So much fun…and the kayak didn't leak! It made for a wonderful afternoon in the sun and quiet of the waters.

Couldn't beat this view!!! Still water, mangrove trees and birds everywhere.

We loved this park!!! It had a very active group of "Snowbird" campers and PK joined them several mornings for coffee and sweets or pancakes…me??? I love to stay in bed in the morning and read. I've already made reservations to come back to this area next winter for Christmas holidays.  We loved being in the Sarasota area and there's so much more to see and experience there!!!!