Our Florida 2019 Trip Blog Posts
We finally made it back to Ottawa trading white sand for white snow! Instant reality check. After all, it’s only March and we are in Canada, after all! We spent the day digging out the vehicles and finding room for Winnie. Jo actually got her first sunburn of this excursion in our driveway! We had high hopes spring would soon be around the corner but little did we know…
Our first road trip in Winnie was fantastic but… There’s no place like home!
What a rude awakening as we left Niagara, enroute home. Momma Jo left Steve behind with Winnie and headed home with Daphne. Now, these 2 have never had the best of luck with weather and today was no exception. An unexpected winter storm swept onto Hwy 401 just past Port Hope producing white-out conditions, closed highways, zero visibility and over a foot of snow in a few hours. The girls sought refuge at the Big Apple, just before Belleville (a 30 minute drive took over 4 hours!). Thank god for a bathroom and great apple fritters!
Messages were sent to Steve: “Stay at Port Hope!!!”. With that, Steve pulled into Port Hope once again but this time correctly pulled into the RV area. Before too long however, the truck parking area overflowed and Winnie was surrounded by the big guys!
We came back this route for Winnie to have her first check-up and address some minor items that we found since delivery. No sense wasting the day in the RV dealership waiting room, let’s go explore!
First stop, shopping at the Outlet Collection at Niagara. Wine tasting at Wine Country Vintners with samples from Trius, Peller Estates, Thirty Bench and No. 99 Wayne Gretzky Estates. Jo sat this one out but fortunately Daphne was a great tasting partner for Steve, as no one likes to drink alone. We also did some shopping…
Finally it was time for lunch and of course Jo’s turn for another flight of local beers! On the recommendation from Karen at the wine shop we headed to the Bricks & Barley Restaurant for wood-fired pizza & craft beer. We shared Daphne’s Wachos (i.e. waffle-fries nachos), Jo’s Veneto (asiago-artichoke based) pizza & Steve’s More Meat pizza. This new restaurant was a great find with amazing food and awesome service!
The local TV channels were advising of an impending snowstorm and we definitely wanted to get ahead of any snow! With the crack of dawn we were up and on the road by 6:22 am. Homeward Bound today and the highway traffic is light! Trying to avoid interstates, we took Hwy 11 North and found this was similar to Hwy 27 through Georgia; double lanes and light traffic!
By 8:50 am we were reaching for the sunglasses as we left the clouds, and the potential storm, behind us. We picked up I-90 below Lake Erie close to the New York state border and kept our eyes peeled for that state’s welcome centre. To our dismay, the nearest welcome centre was in Buffalo! By the time we arrived there, we just wanted to cross the border to Canada. Our first attempt to cross the border at the Whirlpool Bridge, we encountered a “Closed for Construction” and a detour to the Rainbow Bridge. That border crossing was a breeze with a special area for RVs & buses. Best border crossing ever!!!
Canada! There’s no place like home! First stop, Tim Horton’s! Now fueled up with our Timmie’s fix, we’re off to our final stop for the night at the Best Western Plus in Welland, Ontario. Here we crashed on the couch of the hotel room of our good friend, Daphne (aka Ducky). We enjoyed all the comforts of home with a tub for Jo, internet for Steve and free, hot breakfast in the morning!
Ohio state line; here we come. Getting out of Pipestem turned out to be a challenge, as Lola sent us on “Scenic Byways” and dirt roads to boot! Once out of those byways, the Interstate was very busy but we needed to make tracks. The Ohio Welcome Centre should have been clue to what was next. No personal “welcome” as there was simply vending machines & pamphlets and no real photo ops.
We found a state park that was opened year round and no reservations required! When we arrived, we realized why. Jefferson Lake State Park may be an ideal summer retreat but not one we’d recommend for a winter stopover. OMG, maybe we should have stayed at that Wal-Mart after all!
Doorless, latrine-style pit toilets and tree debris everywhere was not what we expected. They only plus for this location was the electricity! So we plugged in, turned on the heat and settled in for the night. It was a little creepy (OK, Jo says very creepy!) and we tossed & turned for most of the night.
We woke this day to thunderstorms and steady rain and thankfully we didn’t float away! We got on the road late, as we were waiting for a break in the rain which never came. Our destination was Pipestem Resort State Park and with the rain we decided to explore the lodge and the Black Bear Cafe for, you guessed it, another flight of beer!
This was our last stop below the snow line and time for winterizing Winnie before heading further north. Luckily the temps overnight were above freezing and with the rain stopped by morning, we winterized and headed out. This was a sad moment as we realized we were really heading home…
Welcome to Tennessee, the Soundtrack of America and apparently the best “State Parks in the Nation”! We tested this state park claim by staying at Panther Creek State Park. Many of the state parks in Tennessee were flooded due to the heavy rains so we headed for higher ground in the northeast and still had to pass through some flooded roads!
This park is nestled on the shore of Cherokee Lake and, even in the rain, this mountain area was gorgeous. Jo was on a mission to hike to the Cherokee Lake Overlook so we set out on the (mostly) dry walkways but Jo was persistent and we eventually found ourselves in the woods on the muddy trails. As it was early in the season, the trails were not yet groomed and we faced the challenges of going around, over and even under some downed trees. The view of the lake was spectacular even as the fog shrouded the islands. With dusk creeping in we arrived back at camp just before the heavens opened!
Well, today was Jo’s pick for parks and Cloud Canyon just sounded so promising and it did not disappoint! The park offered great hiking trails and we traversed over 7 kms of trails, stairs and rocks to visit 3 waterfalls and both major canyon overlooks. It was both exhilarating and exhausting but well worth every sore muscle the following day! There was over 600 stairs down (and of course up!) to 1 waterfall alone!
We were now in northwest Georgia and the weather was perfect for hiking with the afternoon reaching 18 degrees. We highly recommend this park and wish we could stay a few more days but we must be on our way…
In nature one receives far more than he seeks.
John Muir
Our goal for today was a short drive a little more north to another Georgia state park but while enroute to the state park, Steve located the Rocky Mountain Recreation Area that boasted at least 12 miles of bike trails. This campground was nestled on the shores of Antioch Lake and part of the Georgia Power water-electric and park recreation system. The area was stunning with a number of reservoir lakes for fishing and it was oh so peaceful.
While it does have many miles of bike trails, the recent rains made them pretty much impassable for our hybrid bikes. The good news was the roads in the area were very quiet and we managed to get in well over 10 miles. It was great to be back on the bikes one more time!
We also had FREE firewood so Steve got the perfect fire blazing and we had another batch of smores!
After maxing out the day of beaches yesterday, we decided to crash for the night in Apalachicola. Steve used the trusty iOverlander app and we found Battery Park located just under the bridge where Highway 98 leaves town. Essentially a gravel parking lot next door to a marina and a community park. Steve slept through the night however Jo not so much. We were on the road by 8:23, as Jo made sure of this!
We headed north to Chattahoochee Bend State Park in Georgia. This was a 500 km day of driving but first we needed to check out the Bloody Bluff Landing Wildlife Management Area that we had skipped the night before. It was located deep and desolate in the Apalachicola National Forest and the night under the bridge turned out to be the much better choice after all.
On arrival at Chattahoochee Bend we were fortunate to walk portions of the Riverside, Tower and Wild Turkey Trails before the sun set. This was a beautiful park with well maintained sites & facilities that we’ll definitely keep on our radar for future visits.
This area of Florida had been deemed “The Forgotten Coast” even before last Fall’s Hurricane Micheal roared through and raged major destruction. From Newport Park, we first headed south to St. Mark’s Lighthouse & Wilderness Area. This area reminded us of the Everglades with it’s vast Pineland forests and wonderful bird habitats.
The day before, Jo had walked to a roadside Boiled Peanut stand with no money and Captain Dan gave her a free sample bag. They were so delicious and when we saw Captain Dan was back at his stand, we bought a mixed bag of original and Cajun style. They were soooo good later that afternoon for a snack! Boiled Peanuts are now considered (by some) to be a delicacy and are a pretty cheap source of protein to boot.
This was also our last chance for Florida beaches so we made stops at Alligator Point (hit roads that were washed out and impassable), Bald Point State Park (perhaps should have been named Jellyfish Point), Carrabelle Beach (much more appealing than the tea-coloured waters at Bald Point!) and St. George Island (beautiful beaches and colourful houses like those on Jelleybean Row in St. John’s, NL) as we made our way around the gulf to our final destination for the day in Apalachicola. Here we enjoyed yet another flight of beer at Oyster City Brewing Company. This time we tasted the likes of “First Light”, “Tate’s Hellies”, “Mill Pond”, “ManGrove”, “Fermentus” and “Foulin’ Harries”. All were of high alcohol content and oh yeah… free popcorn!
Up before the birds this morning at 5:45! Shuttle to the airport and saw Beck off on her flight back to Halifax. It was a sad shuttle ride back to the hotel.
We had planned for late check out and to spend the day “spa-like” but our hearts weren’t really in it, so after we made sure the flight was in the air, we had a quick swim and got ready to head out. It was an amazing week with Rebekah, like a vacation really within this excursion. It was very quiet when we got Winnie back on the road … destinations unknown.
We now started our travels back home but not yet ready to leave the warmth. Once we got outside the hustle-bustle of Orlando it was so nice seeing the rolling countryside of cattle country and orange groves, so we turned northwest and ended the day in Newport Park, Wakulla County – the gateway to Florida’s Forgotten Coast.
We maximised our last morning with the Mustang by hitting a few more beaches and also burnt down that extra quarter tank of gas before the time came to part ways. Doesn’t she just look perfect towing behind Winnie?
The drive on Highway 4 to Orlando was painful! Everyone was glad to see the Marriott Airport Residence Inn which was to be our home for the night, as we gave Winnie the night off. Now the last item on Beck’s list was Smores and since the hotel wouldn’t allow a campfire in the parking lot, we improvised. Man, they were really decadent and who knew Smores over an electric stove-top could taste so good.
Bucket list complete!
The day in Tampa was Rebekah’s favorite bucket list item. We jumped on the historic (and free!) TECO streetcar line and visited Yber City. This original core of Tampa was the home of many cigar companies back in the day and now houses a number of breweries, which of course Jo had to try TBBC (Tampa Bay Brewing Co). Another day, another flight! More quaint names (“Hair of the Hog”, “Hog’s Breath”, “True Blonde” & “Red Eye”) but nothing we had to take home for later. From here we strolled the River Walk on the hunt for food and Lightning gear. We chose Ferg’s Live right across from Amalie Arena for pre-game wings, mini corn-dogs and macaroni bites. (Not a lot of choice on the menu!)
Next stop, Thunder Alley for some pre-game festivities! Jo also found the perfect shirt for Beck on clearance to boot! The atmosphere outside was fantastic but inside it was absolutely electrifying! Lots of 2 way action in the game with both goalies making incredible saves. The Lightning really know how to generate positive energy in the crowd. They play a fast, aggressive style of hockey and the community is certainly behind their team. We definitely got our monies worth, as it came down to a shoot-out before Tampa secured the win sending the majority of the fans home happy. Seeing Stamkos score in the shoot-out made Momma Jo’s day!
From Clearwater Beach and Ron Jon Surf Shop (√) , we headed south on the Gulf Coast with our first stop at Sand Key beach. Although a beautiful spot, on this day it was very windy and we had sand flying everywhere with even the odd umbrella taking flight!
Next stop was John’s Pass Boardwalk for lunch at Mad Beach Craft Brewing Company which we would highly recommend. We had yet another flight of beers with names like “Life’s a Beach”, “Kalypso”, “Dolphin Drool” and “Coco Sider”. All were very tasty and hit the spot with our lunch of Gator Chomps, Fish Tacos, BBQ Pulled Pork and Black Beans, Rice & Chicken. Someone’s gonna pay for those beans! We also took home a growler of Coco Sider (coconut cider), as it was Beck’s fave.
Last beach of the day was Madeira Beach for some study time for Beck, reading for Steve and more beach-walking for Jo. Another perfect day comes to a close!
Today started with a visit from the local locksmith, as Steve locked the Mustang key fob inside the car. Thank goodness for that CAA plus membership! The locksmith told Steve this was his first of many calls for the day and those fobs sometimes do that when the batteries are low. (Steve’s SideNote : Never leave the fob in the cup holder and close the door!)
Even with that delay, we still made it to Ellenton Premium Outlets before they opened at 10 am. It’s such a small world sometimes. Walking around this massive outlet mall, Rebekah bumped into 2 of her friends from Ottawa! What are the odds of that???
Jeans – √, Shorts – √ , Baggy T-shirt – √ and with these items crossed off her list, the next stop was the beach! We decided to take Rebekah to Fort De Soto North Beach and it too was a check mark on her list. The Mustang was also a hit for both Steve and Rebekah, and with the top down, it’s the only way to cruise the beaches!
Another Harvest Hosts stop at the Far Reach Ranch was in Blueberry Country! Only problem, blueberries not yet in season. However we did try all of their varieties of blueberry jams and their local honey. We settled on the Mixed Berry jam (Steve’s fave was the Blueberry Habernaro but they were sold out) and their Orange Blossom honey.
As you can see from the photos, we received the grand tour of the owners antique car collection. Even a non-car buff can appreciate such an impressive array of classic automobiles! A 1914 Cadillac, a 1948 Woody, a 1957 Chevy, a 1965 Shelby Cobra, Porshes, Jaguars, and more! We left this central Florida farming area and headed to the coast for our next stop at Clearwater RV Resort. Our rental Mustang convertible we picked up later that day, isn’t a classic yet but who knows down the road.
We arrived at our next stopover with some time on our hands so on our hosts’s recommendation off we went on a tour around Lake Dora. First stop was Tavares, the Seaplane Capital of Florida. This resort area was styled after Key West and had a happening pub scene with lots of live music, big chairs & big beers! Next around the lake was Eustis at the Wolf Branch Brewery. A much sleepier little town where we simply drank a flight with the locals. Our final stop was in Mount Dora and oh what a a stop it was. All parking lots were jammed and we just by chance ended up in the Palm Island Park lot where we encountered an amazing boardwalk experience and fantastic sunset views. Seriously, how does it get better than this?
Our bedtime snack was the Cheesecake Factory desserts of Key Lime Pie, Salted Caramel and Chocolate Oreo. Another list item checked off!
Rebekah’s Florida Bucket List started with a visit to Disney and not your typical Disney stop but one which included shopping! This area of Disney seems to be larger now than the parks. Today’s goal is actually quite light with a set of Disney shot glasses needed for Beck’s new apartment but along the way we did enjoy a few other attractions!
From the Cupcake ATM, Amorettes delicacies, pictures with Pooh Bear, Goofy’s Candy Shop, and our favorite stop at AristoCrepe’s for Salted Caramel Chocolate Pretzel Bubble Waffles! This was just our first morning with much more on that list to be checked off!
Finally the long-awaited visit with Rebekah has arrived and Momma Jo is full of anticipation! Steve simply couldn’t get to the airport fast enough for Jo so once we arrived, we stayed put. Jo did a reconnaissance trip by the new Automated People Mover (APM) from the future Terminal C to Terminal B and left Steve to sleep in the Cell Phone Lot. When West Jet 1024 arrived, Jo was right there to meet Beck as close to the gate as security would allow!
Our first stop was The Cheesecake Factory for dinner but with a 90 minute wait, we grabbed dessert to go and were off to our rest stop for the night … Cracker Barrel! Home-style cooking and a relatively quiet parking lot for the night, How Does it Get Better Than This?
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