Madeira Beach KOA, St. Petersburg, Florida We don't particularly like KOA's - they are more like Disneyland's than campgrounds, what with all the amenities and the high prices that go with that. I suppose that since they spell it with a 'K' instead of a 'C' they can get away with it, but we call it 'glamping'. (I suppose, though, that all things are relative - there are those that would argue that our way of 'camping', in an RV trailer with a furnace, an A/C, and a refrigerator, isn't true camping either.) But sometimes we just can't avoid it, either because we couldn't find an alternative, or because what we want to see just isn't near a state park. In this case, it was a combination of both - Joan wanted to see a couple ... read more

Gulf Islands National Seashore, Gulf Breeze, Florida It was sort of a combination down-day, sightseeing day. It didn't help that it was completely overcast and pretty windy. We didn't have anything really specific planned and, being a little tired, sleeping in sounded attractive. On sleep-in days, though, I still have to wake up with the alarm at six, get dressed, then walk and feed the girls. For reasons I just don't understand, they don't get the idea of sleeping in. In fact, usually, when the days are getting longer, they are up on the bed crawling all over us just before six. Kind of hard to snooze when Smooch is on my body like a mountain goat, pawing at my neck and looking expectantly into my eyes. So the dogs wake up when THEY want to ... read more

Fort Pickens Campground, Gulf Breeze, Florida We hitched up, took showers in the really nice football belle's bathhouse, and headed out to our next location. We drove a total of about 260 miles a little west, but mostly South. In fact we drove south absolutely as far as we could - the road dead ends at the Gulf Coast. Although long, it was an interesting drive, taking us through coastal plain forests dense with assorted evergreen trees, punctuated by a few budding hardwoods. Terrain was soft rolling hills, nothing really challenging. We took two-lane Alabama and US highways most of the way, so speed limit was usually around 55, which we can do with the trailer fairly easily. We didn't have firm lunch plans, but I really wanted to experience some homestyle southern cooking while in ... read more

Auburn, AL Not a whole lot to report about yesterday. We slept in, then I wrote my blog and Joan did some drawing. Finally followed that with breakfast, or rather brunch, of pancakes, bacon, and eggs. It was overcast most of the morning, but the sun came out in the afternoon and we saw temperatures in the 80s. I pulled out my private casual shorts (shorts with a few holes in them, unfit for public viewing) and my sandals. Southern summer has suddenly arrived. We took the dogs for a walk around the RV park. Strangely, both of them actually seem to be a little uncertain about this environment. I don't know if they have smelled a frightening animal, or they are just overwhelmed by how different things are. Smooch doesn't want to be outside much ... read more

Ocmulgee National Monument, Macon, Georgia If Russell Cave was a bit of a disappointment, Ocmulgee definitely was not. Ocmulgee is the name of a river that runs through here, and a thousand years ago the Indians built a very complex settlement. They were part of a civilization known as Mississippian, scattered through the south, but concentrated along tributaries of the Mississippi River as far north as Iowa, Illinois, and Ohio. They built huge earthen mounds, as large as football fields and as tall as fifty feet. Mostly, these mounds served as platforms, possibly as locations for other grand structures, such as temples or the homes of the elite. One of these mounds, the funeral mound here at Ocmulgee, served as a cemetery. It has been a rich source of artifacts for archeologists. In addition to the ... read more