Month: January 2019

Everglades – Day 2

On 31st January 2019

In Florida 2019, Places We've Been

Nike Missile Site HM-69

Today’s first bike ride was to Hidden Lake followed by a return visit to Royal Palm for more Kodak moments. BTW, for those of the digital generation, Kodak was once the world’s leading film & photographic company.

In the afternoon we took the guided tour of the Nike Missile Site HM-69. This walk through history guided by Park Ranger Leon was right up Steve’s alley and really painted a picture of life in the US leading up to and during the Cuban Missile crisis time period. The insight from Leon and the words of John F Kennedy really brought to life how those in the US lived during the Cold War and how close the world came to Nuclear War!

It is insane that two men, sitting on opposite sides of the world, should be able to decide to bring an end to civilization.
John F kennedy – 27 October 1962

This day was capped off by another campfire with Susan & Ed where we met new campers, Levi & Elisa, from Saskatchewan. Once again the stargazing through the tall pine tress was simply amazing and another great ending to a perfect day.

Everglades National Park

On 30th January 2019

In Campgrounds, Florida 2019

To see the Everglades you need to see it with your eyes closed. It is one of the National Parks that whispers at you. It’s understanding and finding the beauty in the diversity of the ecosystems.
PARK RANGER LEON HOWELL

Long Pine Key Campground

This was the first night of our planned 5 nights of boondocking (i.e. off-grid & no services). An early morning bike ride guided by Park Ranger Olivia. Her enthusiasm for the diversity of the park’s ecosystems was contagious and made us want to explore even more of this wonderful park on our own!

This was the most stunning day, as we biked through the various pine groves; with the long pines reaching for the sky, the green foliage, finger palms and burnt tree trunks provided a picture that brought tears to our eyes, OK… Momma Jo’s eyes.

We had met our neighbours (Sue, Ed & Harry) the night before, and at their campfire they recommended the Anhinga and Gumbo Limbo Trails as great areas for bird & alligator sightings.

Anhinga & Gumbo Limbo Trails

This afternoon we biked to the Royal Palm Visitor Center to explore these trails. Sure enough the ‘gators were out soaking up the heat of the sun and the bird life was spectacular providing many Kodak moments!

Lesson Learned : Take the road less traveled through the back country to the Research Station road, NOT the Main Park road. Too many big rigs for Momma Jo’s liking!

Today’s travels were over 30 kms on the bike and a few more on foot. We passed on the campfire and slept very well under those long pines reaching to the starlit sky! Today’s adventures will be cherished for many years to come.

On the road

On 29th January 2019

In Campgrounds, Florida 2019

We’re now over 2900 kms into our trip, as can be seen by our daily odometer snap. Definitely time to freshen up our clothes and perhaps also wash Winniefred! This proved to be quite the challenge as we were driving through Boca Raton; not really the laundromat crowd as most folks here drop their clothes at the dry-cleaners! Jo did finally get her laundry fix while Steve got some quality internet time. Unfortunately Winniefred was either too big for the self-washes or too costly for the express wash locations.

The day ended in the Everglades National Park but only after another Lola misdirection kept sending us to a migrant farm-workers housing community. Strike 2 for Garmin!

Always concentrate on how far you have come, rather than how far you have left to go. The difference in how easy it seems will amaze you.
Heidi Johnson

Florida is for the birds!

On 29th January 2019

In Florida 2019, Places We've Been

Conveniently, less than a mile from Bedner’s was the Arthur R. Marshall Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge. This was our first stop of the day. A lovely place for a good walk with the birds. We first meandered the Cypress boardwalk and then over to the Cypress Swamp where the wildlife was in full action! This allowed Momma Jo to be in her element with camera in hand and plenty of birds in sight. This stop was well worth the $5 donation. We also met a couple who volunteered at the refuge for the season. Perhaps a concept for us in the future…

Bedner’s : Restocking Supplies

On 28th January 2019

In Florida 2019, Places We've Been

Well, today we are transitioning from the east coast of Florida, as we head to the Everglades National Park. First, we need to restock our supplies.

We chose to stop at another Harvest Host location at Bedner’s Fruit Market overnight and on the way visited Harland & Kim at their Motorcoach Resort in Port St. Lucie. On their recommendation we headed to Costco for the basics and of course, cheap booze!

Bedner’s was all that Jo had hoped for, as she finally got to do some real market shopping. All the colours, great smells, excellent variety and we also had great service once again from our Harvest Hosts, as Alissa & Julie were fantastic! As it turned out the wine was cheaper here than at Costco, so Steve of course had to buy some more :). We’d definitely stop here again for their fresh produce, even if not staying overnight.

Florida Rain!

On 27th January 2019

In Events, Florida 2019

What to do on a rainy Sunday in Florida with no car?

Well, we caught up on our reading, our social connections via email & text, managed to get a short walk in between heavy showers and of course, get the blog live!

The way I see it, if you want the rainbow, you gotta put up with the rain.
Dolly Parton

Long Point Community Park

On 26th January 2019

In Campgrounds, Florida 2019

Our next campsite was at this community park just outside Sebastien Inlet State Park. Another adventure for today was exploring Scout Island through the magical Winnie the Pooh door! This park lies in the Indian River Lagoon system and is another great area for fishing, kayaking and boating in general.

We also had a nice visit from Momma Jo’s cousin Harland and his wife, Kim. They spend their winters in Florida and we caught up and took notes on their experiences.

The weather also finally caught up to us on the second night as the rain started and never stopped for over 24 hours!

Sebastien Inlet

On 26th January 2019

In Florida 2019, Places We've Been

Today’s challenge was to once again beat the weather. This time not the Arctic cold but the Florida rain!

We were up and on our bikes before 8 am and headed to the Sebsatien Inlet State Park. This pier was simply too rough for us, as we were getting wet from the crashing waves. We biked through the mangrove forest trails as it wound its’ way back to our campground in Long Point.

As you can see in the picture, some birds just dare to be different.

Cocoa Beach

On 25th January 2019

In Florida 2019, Places We've Been

On today’s drive we decided to check out Cape Canaveral with a stop at Cocoa Beach and a visit to its’ well-known pier. Unfortunately, we arrived at the pier without our wallets, so no Tiki cup drinks for Momma Jo!

Tomoka State Park

On 23rd January 2019

In Campgrounds, Florida 2019

We are now officially 1 week into our trip and still loving it! Can’t you tell?

We learned a valuable lesson today in that Winniefred can’t play with the big boys. When you visit a truck stop for fuel & propane, don’t go where the truckers go!

This park was rustic and provided a nice disconnect from the outside world. It’s also surrounded the Tomoka & Halifax rivers and a great spot for canoeing (next time!). Did you know Florida has bears? Well, we didn’t see any ourselves but lots of signs, both man-made and natural. The signs also warned us of the alligators but luckily we didn’t see any of those either. I’m surprised Momma Jo left Winniefred!

We stayed here also for 2 nights and that first one was a wicked thunder & lightning enhanced experience. The second day we got the bikes out again and headed to the quaint town of Ormond Beach about 10 kms away. A lovely picnic lunch on Grenada Pier with a visit from a few dolphins while we chatted with the locals fishing from the pier.

Anastasia State Park

On 21st January 2019

In Campgrounds, Florida 2019

This day proved the power of positive thinking. We headed to Anastasia State Park knowing that it was full but felt it was worth a try to check it out on our way. Lo and behold as we walked through the door, the ranger just had a cancellation. We booked the next 2 nights right away and what a stay this was!

This was the first time we took the bikes off the rack and we put over 20 kms a day on those bikes riding throughout the park and the nearby town of St. Augustine. The weather here was much more Florida-like! We ate outside, beach-combed, hiked, and simply played in the surf. The warm sand on your bare feet and the sounds of the birds singing… How does it get better than this?

Florida finally!

On 21st January 2019

In Florida 2019, Places We've Been

A Lola misdirection took us into the heart of Jacksonville on Martin Luther King Jr. holiday Monday! Steve got us back on the road to Anastasia State Park via Hwy A1A but not quite quick enough for Momma Jo.

Our first Florida beach was the empty North Gate Beach of the GTM Reserve near Pointe Verda. This location of 30 degrees 8 seconds North Latitude has the historic significance of Juan Ponce de Leon’s first sighting of Florida on his search for the Fountain of Youth! We can certainly relate to Juan and his crew, as we too are searching for our own Fountain of Youth.

Altamaha Regional Park

On 20th January 2019

In Campgrounds, Florida 2019

What a beautiful day but the forecast showed the Arctic Front moving south. We headed out for southern Georgia with Fort McAllister State Park as our planned destination.

To break up the journey we stopped at the Carolina Cider Company. It was definitely the cutest little country store and we tried a few samples of their ciders (Cheery, Blackberry & Muscat). Who could resist the cookie samples too!

Unfortunately the cold front must have forced others southwards, as the campgrounds were full! Thanks to Allstays, we found an opening nearby in Altamaha. Not the busiest campground this time of year with the river levels such that according to our camp host “even the hogs can’t find a dry spot!”. A unique experience for our night alone in the camp but the nicest locals you ever want to meet.

Myrtle Beach!

On 18th January 2019

In Campgrounds, Florida 2019

Today’s travel had us enter into South Carolina. We finally de-winterized Winniefred and settled in for a few days at Myrtle Beach State Park.

The warmer weather had us walking barefoot on the beach, picnic lunches on the pier, dipping our toes in the Atlantic Ocean and being mesmerized by the sound of the surf.

Medoc Mountain State Park

On 17th January 2019

In Campgrounds, Florida 2019

Today’s travel had us surpass our goal of Virginia as we pushed on to this North Carolina State Park.

We arrived just after sunset and imagine our surprise in the morning, to wake up to this little piece of heaven! The day greeted us with a chill but quickly warmed up to 16 degrees.

How pleasant it was to walk around the campground; it felt like a dream and the peacefulness was almost majestic. This is definitely a place to go back to.

Hershey’s Chocolate World

On 17th January 2019

In Florida 2019, Places We've Been

Day 2 on the road

Every trip to Hershey, PA should include a stop at Chocolate World!

It’s not just the chocolate that makes you smile, as you should do the tour and feel like a kid again. This stop is a chocoholic’s (Steve) dream. The variety of chocolate and treats is simply amazing and satisfy everyone’s sweet tooth. A must is a bag of chocolate for the road!

To make the long drive south a little less monotonous, we stopped at each state Welcome Centre for a “Kodak moment” and a map. Momma Jo doesn’t trust Lola.

The Vineyard at Hershey

On 16th January 2019

In Campgrounds, Florida 2019

We stopped at this Harvest Host location just outside of Hershey, PA. Boondocking the first night with temps still around zero.

Wine tastings at the Vineyard at Hershey included the likes of Firefly, Twisted Kiss, Blood Orange Sangria, Crimson Fox, Frostbite and Cocoa Di Vezzetti. We also tried the unique flavours of Presidential Peanut Butter Cider and ApPaul Revere Apple Pie Cider.

We of course purchased some wine to go and we’d like to thank Chelsea & Morrissa for making this a memorable visit!

Leaving the cold behind

On 16th January 2019

In Events, Florida 2019

You just don’t ever know what’s going to happen, and that’s kind of why it’s fun. I can’t guarantee we’ll be able to do this, but we’re going to try.
Melissa ARNOT

Cold camper!

We’re excited about leaving this cold behind us as we head out on our adventure to warmer weather. The forecast showed a deep freeze coming so we needed to go now!

Florida 2019 – Let’s Get Ready!

On 15th January 2019

In Events, Florida 2019

Introducing…. Winniefred.
She’s our new home for the next 6 weeks.

We need to
– load her,
– fuel her,
– weigh her
– set our trip plan into
“Lola” the GPS

Now we’re good to go!
Check out our video here!

Nova Scotia Bound!

On 3rd January 2019

On January 3rd we headed to Nova Scotia to bring Rebekah back to Acadia University. She’s starting her second term and new adventures of her own.

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