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Florida 2018

April 2018 - April 2024
We are looking for sunshine and warmth. We're hoping to find it in South Carolina and Florida! Read more
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  • TravelerFlorida 2018

    Cornwall, ontario

    March 31, 2018 in Canada ⋅ ☀️ 9 °C

    We thought about not going to Florida this year, but by mid March we were longing for some sun and warmth, if only for a few weeks. So, preparations have begun. Camper is being readied, arrangements have been made for Belle to stay with Sandy and Ed, and packing is underway.Read more

  • TravelerFlorida 2018

    All Ready!

    April 6, 2018 in Canada ⋅ ☁️ 0 °C

    It's Friday! We are all ready to leave tomorrow morning!
    Belle is now in Ottawa with Sandy and Ed. She has claimed her spot in their family room and seems to be settling in. Sandy plans to send me a "Doggie Bloggie" regularly.

    I will miss Naomi and Adalynn. Already, I can't wait to see them when we get back!

    The house is ready to be closed up for a few weeks. Thank you, Paula, for keeping an eye on it.

    The Rialta is packed and ready to go!
    And so are we! Good-bye Snow!    Read more

  • TravelerFlorida 2018
    Day 1

    Cruising to Carlisle, Pennsylvania,

    April 7, 2018 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 4 °C

    April 7,

    We left home at 8:00 am. It was windy and cold, and snow covered!

    We took highway 401 west to the Thousand Islands Bridge, then highway 81 to Carlisle, Pennsylvania. We arrived here around 5:00. A good drive, except for some snow in the Syracuse area, but the roads stayed bare. The Rialta ran smoothly all the way. (Feeling thankful!)

    As expected, the Pennsylvania roads were bumpy and full of potholes. We kept hearing strange noises in the back of the Rialta as we hit the bumps. Finally, we realized what it was. We have brought a toy for Alex and Thalia's cat, Amelia. It has a motion sensor, so every time you move it, you hear the sound of singing tropical birds and jungle noises. So every time we hit a bump, this is what we heard! Those birds sang all through Pennsylvania!

    Traffic was light and few trucks were on the road. Love travelling on a Saturday!

    We are staying at the Sleep Inn in Carlisle. $82.00, including breakfast! And, how handy, it is right beside a Cracker Barrel! Looking forward to a good sleep tonight!

    Miles travelled today:

    Doggie Bloggie: Belle is making herself right at home! Stealing Leroy's perch, sleeping in the master bedroom, and burying her bones in Sandy and Ed's couches! It's a dog's life!🐕🐈    Read more

  • TravelerFlorida 2018
    Day 5

    Wednesday, April 11

    April 11, 2018 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 19 °C

    Up early today! The weather is cool, sunny and breezy! We have breakfast, bike to the beach for a walk, and bike back to the campsite around 11:00. We are on the road to meet Keith and Luce for lunch by 11:30.

    We take the A1A north. It is a beautiful drive, busy at this end, but then the road opens up and follows the coast through Pointe Vedra, past Sawgrass Golf Course and into Saint Augustine. There are some beautiful homes along this route. I admire especially the gardens and the old twisted live oaks that stretch out over the road. There are also beautiful views of the Atlantic Ocean.

    We arrive early at Aunt Kate's, so we walk to the end of the pier and talk to a fisherman there. This restaurant is on the Intercostal Waterway. It is sheltered from the wind here, and the sun is warm. Finally. . .warmth!

    Keith and Luce arrive around 1:00. We have a long leisurely lunch and catch up on the news. It's great to see them!

    We say good-bye around 3:00, and return to Hanna Park. More bike riding and beach walking! Can't get enough of it!    Read more

  • TravelerFlorida 2018
    Day 6

    Thursday at Katherine Abbey Hanna Park

    April 12, 2018 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C

    Site 258 at Katherine Abbey Hanna Park near Jacksonville, Florida. It's a beautiful day weatherwise, sunny, dry, about 72 degrees. Had a leisurely breakfast, rode our bikes to the office to register for the next 2 days, then went shopping at the PGA Tour Superstore. Nice store! Bought golf shoes and some hats, but might return the golf shoes. Tony bought nothing, but will order some shoes and pick them up at the store in Myrtle Beach. Now we are at the campsite, just finishing up a late lunch and enjoying this beautiful weather.

    I'm a bit behind with this blog. I'll recap the last few days.

    Sunday, April 8, we left Carlisle, Pennsylvania, took the 85 south to the 66 east to the 17 south to the 95 south. Roads were in good shape and traffic was light. We ended up in Wade, North Carolina. We stayed at Fayetteville RV Resort and Cottages. $45.00 per night. Site27. We really liked this campground. Nice clean washrooms, flat sites, manicured lawns, shrubs, flowers, pool, playground, etc.

    Monday, April 9. We drove along the 95 from Wade, North Carolina to Brunswick, Georgia. It rained off and on all day. We stayed overnight at the Coastal RV Georgia Resort, Site 113 which backed out onto a small lake. $47.50 per night. We liked this campground too. Clean washrooms, flat sites, well run. Each site has facilities to clean the camper, but it was raining, so that didn't happen!

    Tuesday, April 10. We arrived in Florida around 11:00 in the middle of a thunderstorm! Heavy rain, lightning and thunder! Had a late breakfast at Cracker Barrel, shopped at Bealls, and then came to Katherine Abbey Campground. $30.50 per night. We have no reservations as we are 2 days early, but the campground is quiet and we take site 285. It is surrounded by lush green foliage which is dripping wet! Nevertheless, we set up camp, and Tony cooks dinner outside, some ham and scalloped potatoes and veggies we had frozen and brought with us. We went for a walk around the campground and the lake. . .rain had let up but still very damp,and wet!

    Wednesday, April 11. A sunny day! Finally! Still cool, but that's okay! We drove to St. Augustine to a restaurant called Aunt Kate's on the Intercostal Waterway to have a 1:00 lunch with Keith and Luce. They are leaving for home tomorrow, so we were lucky to,have seen them. They have been here since late January. We had a nice lunch and caught up on all the news. We parted ways around 3:00 as they still had some packing to finish up. We returned to the campground, went for a bike ride, a walk on the beach, and another bike ride! So pretty around the lake. I spent the last few hours of the day reading the new Tiger Woods book by Jeff Benedict and Armenian Keteylan. When I visit different places I like to read books about those places, or by authors from those places. Tiger lives in Florida, so that counts, right? What a life he has had! I am hooked on this book!    Read more

  • TravelerFlorida 2018
    Day 6

    Surfin' Stories and Fishin' Tales,Apr 12

    April 12, 2018 in the United States ⋅ 🌙 18 °C

    What was supposed to be a 1 hour walk on the beach this afternoon turned into 3 hours! We walked 1/2 hour north and stopped to watch some surfers. There were about 15. Beth, about 60 years old, was just leaving the beach with her surfboard, but stopped to chat. She was full of information about surfing, wind conditions, waves, reefs, the Continental Shelf, hanging 5, hanging 10, shark bites, local restaurants worth trying, East Coast surfing champion, Piper, who is in the water now, surfing etiquette. . . We must have talked for at least 45 minutes. Very interesting.

    Then we headed for home and met Eric, who is also a surfer, but was fishing today. He told us Beth is an ER nurse, and that even though she is " high finance" she still likes to surf! He was eager to talk about his fishing, showed us his lures, answered all our questions, told us a bit about the history of Mayport, and even let Tony land a fish! A catfish, but still! He told us his real name is Daniel Eric Boone, and he is a descendant of the famous Daniel Boone! He goes by his middle name, Eric. Fishin' tales? Quite a character!

    Then we met Betty, who was on the beach with her husband and dog. They had just come back from playing golf at Blue Sky, which is where we plan to go tomorrow. They are from Gainesville, Florida, and are camping here also,

    We took the long route home on our bikes, around the lake and through the park. So calm and quiet there tonight.

    Finally finished dinner at 9:00. Time to spend some time with Tiger, and then go to sleep!    Read more

  • TravelerFlorida 2018
    Day 8

    A Beautiful Florida Day, April 13

    April 14, 2018 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 26 °C

    Beautiful weather in Florida today. Clear and dry and a forecast high of 80 degrees.

    We walk south on the beach. On our way back, we see that a young couple has caught a small hammerhead shark. It is a beautiful shade of grey and it measures about 30 inches long. Tony and I both touch it. It is smooth as you stroke one way, but rough as sandpaper if you stroke in the opposite direction. The guy throws it back in after we have all had a look at it. A few minutes later, he catches another one! He swears it is not the same one!

    Betty and Ben from Gainesville, Florida, the couple we met on the beach last evening, are also watching. So we have a chat with them. They are planning a ferry trip to Amelia Island this afternoon. They have a Four Winds 27 foot motor home and and white Ford truck which they tow, along with bikes, and sometimes a kayak! They invite us to share their campfire with them later that evening.

    We decide to go to Safe Harbour Seafood Market and Restaurant, recommended to us by Surfer Beth, for a late lunch. We arrive around 12:45 and wait in line until at least 1:45! During our wait, we have a long conversation with a Puerto Rican lady. We hear all about her family in Puerto Rico, how they coped with Hurricane Irma, her children, grandchildren, how she is now taking a masters degree in herbal medicine, her husband's job as a specialized mechanic, her dyslexic son, pictures of her family! The hour passes quickly!

    I have grilled scallops and Tony has fried shrimp. The food is very good, but I like PEI and Nova Scotia scallops better. These scallops were big and tender, but they didn't have that real salt water taste that our scallops have. So, scallops, shrimp, fries, coleslaw, and 2 savoury hushpuppies each. A yummy lunch on the St. John's River, watching the boats go by.

    After, we stop at Publix, and then head back to the campground for more bike riding, beach walking and shell hunting. After being inside for all those long winter days, we love being outside. We have a quick sandwich for dinner, and then go to Betty and Ben's campsite for a campfire. We hear all about their camping trips to Nevada, Wyoming, West Virginia, hiking the Appalachian Trail with their little dog Winnie, their experiences with Hurricane Irma, life in Gainesville. . . A nice visit.    Read more

  • TravelerFlorida 2018
    Day 9

    Saturday, April 14

    April 15, 2018 in the United States ⋅ 🌧 16 °C

    Tony (and Kathy) vs the Ants

    Another sunny day! And hot! This is what we have been waiting for! Shorts, t-shirts, and sandals! But the humidity is building! Heavy thunderstorms are being forecast for Sunday!

    But we have something else to think about right now. We are leaving for Saint Augustine today. When Tony opens the trunk to start packing, he sees that it is swarming with big brown ants. And then I notice that there are a few inside the Rialta as well! So, we have to unpack the entire trunk. Inside, I remove all the bedding, and everything that is stored in that area, and search it for ants. They are under the seats, in the storage area, on the floor. . . Tony goes to the camp store and buys some ant spray (and some new levellers for the Rialta which we've been wanting for awhile!). We spray inside and out until we are sure we have them all, then clean them up and wash everything down. This process takes at least 2 hours, and it is hot work!

    Just as we are finishing, Betty and Ben and Winnie stop by. We exchange phone numbers and email addresses. Next year, when we return, we plan to get together for some golf! Ben says Williston Crossings RV Resort is very nice.

    We drive to Saint Augustine. The highway is busier today.

    Anastasia State Park - site 64 We like this site! Book again, if,possible.

    We arrive at Anastasia State Park, check in, set up, and have lunch. Then it's off to the laundromat to wash all the bedding! We find The Laundry Room on A1A about 2 miles from the campground. It is meticulously clean, and the attendant is friendly and helpful. AND. . .there is free Wifi! AND. . .it has air conditioning! So I wash the bedding, and spend a cool, pleasant hour catching up on emails, Facebook and my blog. I try to Face Time with Matt and Val and Adalynn, but they are all napping (I find out later!) They've had a busy week!

    We walk the beach. The tide is coming in and the waves are strong. There is a new building going up near the pier, and some of the area is roped off, so our walk is shortened.

    We return to our site, have a late dinner, and spend some time reading before bed.    Read more

  • TravelerFlorida 2018
    Day 9

    Sunday, April 15

    April 15, 2018 in the United States ⋅ 🌧 15 °C

    A hot and humid day! After breakfast, we bike up the road and take a path through the trees to find ourselves at the St. Augustine Amphitheatre right next door! The Beach Boys are playing here tonight! If thunderstorms were not in the forecast, we would try to get tickets. Maybe next time!

    We bike north on the A1A and tour some of the neighbourhoods. Some nice houses, some seem a bit neglected. There is a beautiful Baptist Church on our route, and the parking lots surrounding it are full. A good turn out!

    We bike back, have lunch, then go shopping. The air is thick and the clouds are rolling in. While we are inside, we hear thunder and the rain comes down hard for about an hour. After shopping, we have dinner at Back Molly. It is very much like Red Lobster. Not sure we will go there again.

    It rains off and on for most of the evening. We can hear The Beach Boys Concert. We read, and work on our computers until bed time. A quiet evening.    Read more

  • TravelerFlorida 2018
    Day 10

    Monday, April 16

    April 16, 2018 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C

    We moved to a new site today, #56. It's okay, but I prefer 64.

    A very cool day today, but sunny, clear and dry. 8 degrees F this morning!

    2 things on the agenda today. Wash the outside of the Rialta and go to a driving range. We can't find a car wash, so we end up driving to Palm Harbour, about 20 miles away, to hit balls. It's a nice day for a drive! I hit a few good ones! And a few awful ones! Tony was hitting well, in spite of his sore hand. ( a leftover injury from curling!)

    Palm Harbour Golf Course has a driving range, a pitching practice area, and a putting green. It seems decent. We hope to get back there next year.

    We return to the campsite, have dinner (leftover Black Molly fish!), walk the beach, then read and do computer stuff!

    I finish up my Tiger Woods book, which I have enjoyed. Reading this book has given me a new a appreciation for what elite athletes endure to be the athletes that they are, and how this impacts their personal growth and development. Not to mention the physical pain and injuries they suffer. Not an easy life!    Read more

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