Holy Toledo

Not much excitement today. Just driving. Made it to a nice campground near Toledo, OH. Should be home tomorrow afternoon.

Mackinac Island

Busy day today.  Took the ferry with our bikes to Mackinac Island.  Everybody is either riding bikes or moving by horse and buggy.  Even the supplies for the stores are delivered by horse and cart.  Took a 8 mile bike ride around the island.  Very scenic. Also took a buggy ride around the island. The tour guide on the buggy ride was very informative.  The Grand Hotel is on the island.  It was built in 1887 and is quite grand.  Whiletaking the buggy ride we thought we saw Elton John walking on the sidewalk with his dog.  Later we heard that indeed Elton John was on the island.  Talking about a small world.  We came back to the campground and the camper behind us was from WV.  After talking to our neighbors we find that they live in Valley Grove, WV.  Probably less than 15 miles from us.  Tomorrow we are leaving Michigan and heading south.  Not sure where we will end up.

Crossing the Mackinac Bridge

We left Wisconsin this morning and drove north through the U.P. (Upper Peninsula of Michigan). We circled the northern part of Lake Michigan. The lake was very scenic.  After about 6 hours of traveling we came to the Mackinac Bridge.  On the right side of the bridge is Lake Michigan; on the left side is Lake Huron. It is the longest suspension bridge in the western hemisphere. The total length of the Mackinac Bridge is 26,372 feet and it is about 200 feet above the water.  It was very windy going across the bridge.  They limited the speed limit of RV's to 20 mph. We are presently in a campground located right on Lake Huron. Tomorrow we are taking the ferry to Mackinac Island.

Gone Fishing

Went fishing today in Sturgeon Bay.  We didn't catch any fish, but it was fun away.  The town has three bridges and they all are draw bridges to allow the big ships to enter the bay. The one in the picture was opened for a sail boat. Tomorrow we leave the campground and head towards St. Ignace, Michigan.  We are spending several days there and plan to visit Mackinac Island.  Motor vehicles are banned on the island, so we are planning to take a ferry over to the island with our bikes.

Potawatomi State Park

On Saturday we went biking at Potawatomi State Park.  It is on the shore of Sturgeon Bay and has 1,200 acres of gently rolling upland terrain bordered by steep slopes and rugged limestone cliffs.  The carp were spawning in the bay.  They were coming right up to the shore and being frisky.

Sturgeon Bay

Sturgeon Bay is known for ship building. They do a lot of rebuilding on big cargo ships, but the Palmer Johnson company builds yachts from scratch.  The yacht in the picture was recently launched. Not sure who bought it, but I bet they have a lot of money. 

We Made it to Wisconsin

The truck and camper were loaded on the S.S. Badger.  We then took the 60 mile trip across Lake Michigan to Manitowoc, Wisconsin. The ship was a lot of fun. They were showing the James Bond flick "Sky Fall" in their movie theater.  They had a cruise director that coordinated bingo, trivia games, etc. during the entire trip.  Once we landed in Manitowoc the camper was unloaded and we drove about 1-1/2 hours to Sturgeon Bay. 

S.S. Badger

Made it to Ludington, Michigan today. Disconnected the camper, then went into town and visited the many shops. Also had dinner at a local diner called "House of Flavors".  The diner is an extension of a dairy and offers many delicious ice cream treats.  Yum 

Tomorrow is the day we load the camper on the S.S. Badger car ferry and cross Lake Michigan to Manitowoc, Wisconsin.  It is the largest car ferry ever to sail Lake Michigan, and has provides a shortcut across the huge lake. It is the only coal-fired steamship in operation in the United States.  The 410' S.S. Badger entered service in 1953.  There are outside decks for walking or lounging, free movies and satellite TV, live entertainment, two restaurants, full cocktail service, shopping and staterooms for relaxing or sleeping during the cruise. Activities for kids include a video arcade, coloring contests, and kids' playroom.

On Our Way to Sturgeon Bay, Wisconson

Connected our camper to the truck this morning and left for Sturgeon Bay, WI.  It rained almost the entire day, but we made it to the Elkhart/Middlebury KOA Campground.  It is in the heart of Indiana's Amish Country and the RV Capitol of the world.  Tomorrow we have a short trip to Ludington, Michigan.

Made it home

We made it home Thursday evening.  A total of 5096 miles.  We are safe and sound.  All is well at the house, except for our phone and Internet not working.   Frontier says it may be 4 days before they have a chance to fix it.  Looking forward to planning our next trip. :)

Made it to Statesville

We left Myrtle Beach this morning around 10 am and took the scenic route to the north.  We made it to Statesville, NC and are staying at a very nice, but almost empty, campground. It is presently 8:00 pm and I'm sitting outside on the patio surfing the Internet.  Very relaxing. Google Maps tells me that I have a little more than 6 hours to get back home. Pulling the camper it will probably be more than 7 hours. Not sure if I'll try and make it all the way tomorrow or do it in two days???

Last day at the Beach

Last day in Myrtle Beach. Tomorrow we start working our way back home.  I've put 4450 miles so far on my truck.  Luckily the price of gas seems to be going down.  Just bought diesel for $3.71 per gallon.  Regular is $3.22 per gallon. Jeff, Michelle and Ava are coming to the camper for dinner tonight.  We baked pasta, with a salad and bread.  The campground has an ice cream shop for dessert.

Myrtle Beach

I've been a little lazy on the blog.  We've been having such a good time in Myrtle Beach, I've not logged on to the computer. We are staying at the "Ocean Lakes Family  Campground".  It is huge and was awarded the 2011-2012 "RV Park of the Year".  They have about 900 campsites, plus many rental houses. We are only four spaces from the beach which is really nice.  The campground itself has everything, including an outdoor pool, an indoor pool, mini-golf, a cafe, an arcade, and a laundry.  However, the main reason we stopped in Myrtle Beach was to visit with our friends Jeff and Michelle (and their daughter Ava). We had a great time being with them this weekend. They had to go to work today, but we hope to meet up with them this evening.  We will be leaving Myrtle Beach on Wednesday and working our way back to WV. 

Beaufort, SC

Visited the town of Beaufort, SC today. It was chartered in 1711 and is the second-oldest city in South Carolina, behind Charleston. It was named the "Best Small Southern Town" by Southern Living Magazine.  The houses in the town are beautiful and some are still around from the Civil War Era. We also went to Hunting Island State Park.  It was listed in 2013 as a Top 25 beach in the United States by TripAdvisor.  The camp ground is a place I'm sure we will try to stay at in the future, although the park ranger told us they have a 11 month reservation list.  Tomorrow we leave for Myrtle Beach.  Planning to visit some friends while we are there.

Last Day in St. Augustine

We were planning to only spend two days in St. Augustine, but we liked it so much we extended it to three days.  Yesterday we spent the entire day either at the beach or at the swimming pool. We started out today going to a farmer's market that was held at the beach.  We bought some fresh fruit and vegetables. We also stopped and saw the lighthouse.  This evening we ate some blackened shrimp at Aunt Kate's Restaurant which is located at the rear of the campground on the Tolomato River.  We ate outside along the river.  Very nice setting and good food. After eating we went to Old Town St. Augustine.  We saw the oldest city, the oldest street, the oldest wooden schoolhouse and the oldest jail.  We also saw may other old buildings.  Tomorrow we leave St. Augustine and we will be traveling to Beaufort, SC.  If you see the pattern, we are starting to head north. Rough guess is that we will be back in Dallas, WV around April 20th.

St. Augustine

Made it to St. Augustine. Staying at the North Beach Camp Resort.  It might be the best campground we have stayed at during this whole trip. We are just a short walk from the beach. The ocean water is cold (around 63 deg), so the campground has a heated pool.  The pool water is in the 90's.  We are scheduled to stay two days at this campground, but we are looking into staying three days.  Went to a very unique restaurant called the Salt-Water Cowboys tonight.  Very good food.   

Took Corson to the Airport on Sunday afternoon.  We transferred him to the flight attendent and they took him on to the plane.  The plane left the gate and then we left the airport. Later we get a call that the plane never left the runway.  Mechanical issues :(  They took everyone off of the plane, except Corson. He stayed on with the flight attendents. About 2 hours later the plane finally leaves. Corson is back home safe and sound. We leave Orlando tomorrow and then we are off to St. Augustine.  It is the oldest continuously occupied European-established settlement and port in the continental United States.

Islands of Adventure

Went to the Universal "Islands of Adventure" on Saturday. The park was divided into several different themes including, Marvel Comics, Jurassic Park, Harry Potter, Dr. Suess, etc.  They all had some amazing rides.  Harry Potter was the most popular with a pretty long wait in line, but they make the lines entertaining.  We are taking Corson back to the airport this afternoon (Sunday).  I think he had a pretty good time staying in the camper and visiting the parks.

Universal Studios

Went to Universal Studios today with Corson.  Weather was perfect.  We went to many of the rides, including Twister--Ride It Out, Revenge of the Mummy, Disaster, Men in Black, The Simpsons Ride (we rode this twice), ET Adventure, and Terminator 2-3D.  Also saw the parade through the streets of Universal.  Tomorrow is the second half of the park (Islands of Adventure). 

LegoLand

Took Corson to Legoland today. Amazing the amount of structures they made out of legos. There were zebras, lions, star wars figures, replica of the Las Vegas Blvd, New York City, Washington DC, and the list goes on.  It rained most of the day, but we still had a good time. Most of the rides were open, except for the roller coasters.  The next few days we will be going to Universal Studios.

Relaxing

Haven't done too much since we came to Orlando.  Sitting around the campground and hanging out at the lake watching the ducks.  Riding my bike at least twice a day around the park. We are going to the airport this evening and picking up Corson.  He is flying by himself from Latrobe, PA to Orlando. Tomorrow we are all going to Legoland.  Still deciding what else we will do while he is here.  Lots of options.  Universal Studios will probably be one stop.

Made it to Orlando

We made it to Orlando without too much trouble.  We were slightly delayed when one road was closed for about 1/2 hour due to smoke from a forest fire covering the road.  We are staying at the Bill Fredrick Park on Turkey Lake. It is a city park that is right in the middle of all the Orlando activity, but very relaxing with all the trees and the lake.

Moving to Orlando

Cooked the the fish we caught on my Cobb charcoal cooker.  Seasoned it with some Old Bay and some lemon and it was really tasty.  Packing up this morning and moving to Orlando.  I'm expecting it to be about a four hour drive. We will be staying at the Turkey Lake Park.

 

Went Fishing

Happy Easter.  We went fishing this morning in the Gulf of Mexico off the coast Naples.  We caught a bunch of fish, but the only ones of a size legal to keep were "Sheepshead" fish. The captain of the boat was nice enough to clean and filet the fish for us and then pack them on ice. We brought the filets back to the campground and plan on cooking them for supper tonight.

Naples, FL

Spent the day at the beach in Naples. Also visited a tourist trap of shops called "Tin City". I had a wonderful tasting fish taco for lunch. RoxAnne had a grouper sandwich.  We also signed up to take a fishing excursion on a boat from Naples on Sunday morning. We are hoping to catch at least one piece of good fish.  Most of the restaurants around the area will cook them for you at a minimal charge.

Nice Day at the Beach

The racoons are checking the mangroves very closely for alligators before they enter the water. We went to a beach on Marco Island today. The air was hot, but the water was still a little chilly. Many however still were in the water swimming. RoxAnne baked lasagna for dinner tonight.  It was really good. So far we have driven 3155 miles on this adventure.  Thinking about visiting a beach in Naples tomorrow.  Three more days in this area, then we are off to Orlando.

Tamiami Canal

The Tamiami Road extends from where we are camping to Maimi. Along the road is a canal that is filled with alligators. We took a little drive this afternoon and spotted well over 50 gators. 

Air Boat Excursion

Went to Everglades City this morning and took a ride through the Everglades on an air boat.  Captain Gary was driving the boat and did a great job of keeping us safe.  During our trip we spotted another air boat that was stuck in the sand.  We were told that those passangers had to switch to a rescue boat by wading through some water. I guess Carnival isn't the only one with boating issues. Also ate lunch at an outdoor cafe in Everglades City. Good food and great atmosphere.

Biking through the Everglades

 

Biked a trail in the Everglades this morning.  Warning outside the trail said to beware of panthers.  I didn't see a panther, but did see a nice size alligator.

It's For the Birds

Went last evening to a marsh trail located in the Ten Thousand Islands National Wildlife Refuge.  Around sunset 100's of birds come in to the area.  We saw woodstorks, herons, pelicans, swallow-tailed kites, etc.  We also saw a few alligators waiting for their dinner. 

Collier-Seminole State Park

Arrrived at Collier-Seminole State Park on Saturday.  Significantly warmer.  Mid 80's both Sat and Sun.  Running the air conditioner in the camper. Went to a beach on Marco Island on Saturday.  On Sunday we went to a huge flea market in Fort Myers, the visited the winter estates on Thomas Edison and Henry Ford.  They were very good friends and they lived next to each other.  Very intersting visit. We are planning to canoe in the Everglades.  The park rents canoes for $5.00 per hour. Also there is a guided moonlight tour on March 25th & 26th. Also wanting to take a air boat ride through the Everglades and maybe do some deep sea fishing. The birds in the Everglades are amazing.  Saw some pink flamingos. They are best seen in the evening in the marsh area.  Will be going out one of these evenings to take pictures of the birds.

Last Day at Manatee Springs

It is our last day at Manatee Springs State Park. We were going to go swimming today in the springs, but a snake swimming in the same area scared us away.  We have had a very enjoyable stay in this area. Today we visited Blue Spring Park (see picture). We have also visted Suwanne, Horseshoe Beach, Trenton. Olde Town, etc.  Saw an armidillo crossing the road today. Today was also the first time I ate boiled peanuts (the cajun ones were pretty good).  I've put 2500 miles on the truck so far and it running well. Tomorrow we are off for a 10 day stay near the Everglades at Collier-Seminole State Park.

Meeting Many Nice People

Meeting many nice people during our trip. Talked to a couple from Morgantown, WV and another from Charleston, WV. Yesterday met a couple from Bethal Park, PA.  We exchanged contact info and might meet again near Pittsburgh. The couple beside us live in Florida and have taken their camper all the way to Alaska.  That would be an adventure :)  As you can see in the picture we quite often also talk to many "Jane" Does.  They come right up to you. Nice weather here. Yesterday it was 81 degrees as a high and 60 as a low.

The Weekend

Had a great weekend.  Spent Saturday at Cedar Key, a small island off the coast.  Had the best clam chowder at Tony's. They have been the world champion three times.  Lots of little shops. Very friendly people.  Went to a flea market Sunday morning. Just looked.  Didn't buy anything.  The wife and I also bought bikes this weekend.  We have been riding them around the campground and trails. Pedaled around the "Sink Hole" trail today.  Saw a multitude of sink holes.  In fact the whole area has many sink holes.  Hopefully they are not going to get any worse.  The spring currently has high water so it is closed to swimming.  Hopefully it goes down by Friday (the day we leave), so that we can swim in the spring with the manatees. 

Back to Nature

 

Arrived at Manatee Springs State Park yesterday afternoon. It is filled with nature. We were met at our campsite by deer. This morning I went to the spring and it was filled with Manatees. Took a stroll and saw an otter, turtles, fish and tons of birds. No wi-fi and very limited cell service. I'm sitting at McDonalds right now so that I can update everyone. The park also has a 100 ft hole in the ground in which you can scuba dive. It is connected to over 5 miles of underwater caves. It is green with moss on top, but it looks crystal clear under the moss.  If the chance arose, I think I would try and dive at the site.



Another Day at the Beach

Spent yesterday at Blackwater River State Park. It was an amazing park.  The river bottom and banks were pure white sand.  Spent today at the beach again.  Starting to see more kids starting their Spring break.  I've put 1700 miles on my truck so far.  Tomorrow we are leaving Milton, FL and taking the camper to Mantee Springs State Park.  We'll be spending a week at this state park.

One Week into Retirement

Well we are one week into our retired life.  The past few days have been relaxed.  Went to a flea market today.  Spent a lot of time checking out the countryside.  Lots of big farms; many of them grow peanuts.  The area around Milton has lots of rivers and is known for its rivers.  The Blackwater River is really nice.  It is supposed to rain tomorrow. We hope to take a canoe trip within the next few days.

At the Beach

Had a wonderful day at Navarre Beach today. The sand is so white and the sun so warm. A few went swimming, but I didn't go out beyond my knees.  RoxAnne packed a lunch and we spent the entire day there.  Supposed to be another nice day tomorrow.



Made it to Florida

We made it to Florida yesterday afternoon. Staying in a campground in Milton, FL. It was sunny and in the upper 60's. Pulling the camper has not been a problem, but happy to park it for a week. Going to the beach this afternoon.  Supposed to be a high of 69.  

Weather improving

After 600 miles, we made it to Murphy, NC. Weather much improved. High 50's this afternoon.  The flowers are starting to bloom and the trees starting to bud. Truck is getting 10 miles per gallon.  Hoping that will improve a little once we get out of the mountains.

Day 1 of Florida Trip

Weather has been playing havoc on starting our trip to Florida.  We gambled and left for Florida on Sunday even though there was a lot of snow on the road.  The truck needed the 4-wheel drive and spun a lot as I pulled it up the hill, but we finally made it.  Spending the night at a KOA in Wytheville.  We are supposed to drop to 19 degrees tonight.  Really looking forward to warmer weather.