Steve55

My trip is almost over... I spent last night at Fort Clinch State Park in Fernandina Beach just north of Jacksonville. Even though the weather report said that it wasn’t going to rain it did, however, sleeping in the van is terrific – nothing gets wet and no soggy tent to put away! I can only stay here one night because they stage a reenactment at the fort on the first weekend of every month, and I just happened to hit it, but I had a great time yesterday afternoon enjoying the fort, beach, and super bike trails. From atop the fort, across the mouth of the channel, I could see the southern tip of Cumberland Island Georgia. Before coming here I stayed 2 nights at Anastasia St Pk near St Augustine; and made sure my ... read more

When you travel by yourself you get to make your own decisions, but when you travel with someone else you have to negotiate outcomes... both are important things to experience and to learn how to do (with grace!). My latest dilemma, aside from deciding which camp site to choose, was whether to stay in Titusville to see the space shuttle take off, or to keep going another 60+ miles to Alexander Springs, a campground recommended in my travel guide. It was a tough decision… if I had stayed to watch the launch it would have been a big party. I saw the campers staking out their territories as I came across the bridge toward Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, which was recommended to me when Gail and I were in Cedar Key. The timing wasn’t quite ... read more

If you haven’t seen the Ken Burns series on the National Parks, I highly recommend it. All of the stories of how the parks came to be preserved are wonderful, but I particularly remembered the story about Biscayne National Park. Biscayne Bay lies just south of Miami and just north of Key Largo. The mangrove shoreline and swamp seemed worthless up until 1960 when there was some interest in putting a causeway across the bay from Miami to Elliot Key and finally connecting it to Key Largo at the head of the Florida Keys. A female reporter at the Miami Herald led a David vs. Goliath fight to protect the bay and stop the causeway. Developers were salivating to get to Elliot Key, but they finally failed in 1968 when the area was designated as a ... read more

The second camping spot I stayed in (2 nights), recommended by my travel guide, really paid off. The following are the ratings (remember, it’s a scale with 5 being tops), plus my commentary: Beauty: 5 stars, Yep, it was beautiful. Privacy: 4 Hmm… maybe a 3, but I camped on a busy weekend so I had a lot of neighbors… Spaciousness: 5, Yep, plenty of space between camp sites. Quiet: 4, No, maybe a 3, I heard lots of road noise both nights. Security: 5, Yep, I felt very safe. Cleanliness 5, Yes, super clean. So, here is what sounded really good when I started reading about Caloosahatchee Regional Park Campground: “The walk-in tent sites and recreational opportunities should serve as a model for other tent-camping destinations.” So true… My thoughts: If you never leave home ... read more

I waved good bye to Gail and Gracie this morning. They're heading home and I'm off to Brooksville FL in search of a beautiful campground called Mutual Mine Recreation Area, which gets 5 out of 5 stars for beauty in my travel book, The Best Tent Camping in Florida for those hate big RVs, concrete slabs, and loud boom boxes. I swear, that's the name! The jet stream took a big dip this past week and it got really cold, rainy, and windy. BUMMER! It was a nice little shelter here in our tiny apartment in Cedar Key, and I was so glad to enjoy the creature comforts for a week. Plus, when you stay in one place for a week you get to know a place and its people a little better than if you're ... read more