March 10, 2025

Woke up this morning to find the Wandering Spirit sitting in a mini-lake of about 2 inches of water – large puddle that encompassed the whole rig, but thankfully did not reach the electrical supply!  (NOTE: The water had already begun to recede when I took the photo). This was after a night of monsoon-like rain and rolling thunder.  Second night in a row, a different state park.  Welcome to Georgia?   Actually, both parks are very nice – Crooked River and Fort McAllister – just had some had some nasty weather catch up with me.  Unto all great adventures a little rain must fall (but honestly folks, it’s been a bit much considering this is supposed to be the sunny south).

I just returned from a 5-mile hike around the park and am enjoying a cup of coffee while writing this blog.  Seems my intentions were good to set a regular cadence for my postings, and an irregular cadence has been set, whenever I am moved to spend my time with my creative side!  I love to write, also journal every morning, but it competes with driving, planning, setting up/taking down camp, hiking, sunbathing and household tasks.  So, in a way, I am loving a free, cloudy, drizzly afternoon here in my home.

LEAVING DISNEY

So let me go back about 12 days – when you last saw me, I was leaving the land of Disney to venture to the Keys.  It was a great drive – found a county park that rivalled any state or national park in size – just south of St. Petersburg, FL: Fort Soto County Park.  Research of “RV friendly” and “dog friendly” lead me to this great place. I wish I had found it earlier; I would have loved to camp there.  We spent an afternoon on the designated dog beach, and I soon gave up trying to read in my new bathing suit!

Audy off leash is constant boundary setting, which he forgets when someone new comes along.  “Don’t drink the salt water” meant we had to walk the salt water out of his system before leaving (never learns).  “Leave the dead jelly fish alone” (command – partially successful “leave it”) meant Audy goes back on the leash until I could find a stick to move it out a little further away from the shore. Give that ball or frisbee back to those people and their dog, i.e., “drop” and “leave it” commands, only meant you gave it to them long enough so you could chase it and steal it again.

This last behavior was totally my fault.  My first throw of his toy went out too far (big muscles from driving the rig?) and the current swiftly took it away, leaving him desperate and playing Lassie – he was running up to everyone walking by and barking desperately, saying “please, I think a little boy named Timmy is drowning out there, and while you are at it – could you retrieve my ball?”

Well, guilty mama that I am, we went to a PetSmart the next day and he picked out a new toy- a ball of course. Actually, he got 4 new toys, but hey it was “buy 3 get one free” sale!).  I loved the sunshine at the beach, and although I never got to truly relax, it was worth the stop.  And both Audy and I came away with something new – he, a case of purging salt-water and me, well what would a trip to a dog beach be without sand flea bites? Still itchy.

ALONG THE WAY

That night was a boondocking night through Harvest Hosts.   I couldn’t have planned on a better place to stay.  Wayside Bar and Grill, in Palmetto, FL – a jewel.  A nice level mowed field for a good night’s rest and dinner at the fun little, out of the way grill and outdoor spaces.  Had the very best blond ale ever, savory steak tacos and listened to a reggae soundtrack.  I really set me up for the journey to Key Largo the next day.  Wish I could remember the name of the ale!

KEY LARGO

Florida uses a lot of toll roads, and most of them have a program that captures your license plate and then they bill you.  Waiting to see what the overall cost will be when I start receiving the invoices.  Anyway, after meandering mostly down the center of Florida, staying west of the big cities of Miami and Fort Lauderdale, I made it to Key Largo!  Mostly laid out along Highway 1A, I stayed at a funky 1960’s style camp.  There were quite a few long-term residents living there, and I was parked in between a single-wide and a large 5^th wheel. 

The electrical probably wasn’t even up to 1960’s code (if you look closely in the picture, you will see my electrical plug hangs below the water facet)– but I was within feet of the tiny “marina” for guest boats and had my own lanai (a fancy word used for the concrete paid that had been painted green, many times/shades, over the years.)  The people were friendly, in addition to the year-round residents, there were some groups of people who’d been coming for years and long-lost hippies and surfers who’d been hiding in the keys for years.  Very nice people who asked me if I needed anything from the “dollar store” since he was going. Not sure if I did need anything, since those stores are more wander and find the bargain, you weren’t looking for – lol.

But this funky community had its charm, a little beach of white sand on the blue of the warm gulf waters (Caribbean water I was told), unbelievable sunsets and a few places within walking distance.   There was an alligator warning on the beach, and I spotted a few dolphins, but it was amazing just wading in the ocean and visiting with other people from all over the USA while sipping an iced tea.  Just felt bad that I didn’t have any plastic pink flamingos to put in front of my rig for the few days I was there. 

Did I mention this park had a fun custom?  At sunset each night, one of the groups had some type of bugle/horn that was blown 3 times to end their happy hour. (Technically, they continued to party on the beach and back at their campsites).  I wonder if they were descendants of Vikings, or perhaps just people who got drunk one night at sunset and thought wouldn’t it be cool to blow a horn at this moment?  And from this, a great tradition began (although I heard some arguing over what the official time was for sunset, as us seniors tend to do).

THE EVERGLADES

Once I left the Keys, a major pivot point, I started my journey north.  But not without stopping for the majority of the day at Everglades National Park.  And finally, saw alligators in the wild – safely, from a raised boardwalk.  Pretty awesome.  Audy ignored them, and surprisedly, they eyed him cautiously, not with hunger as some fellow tourists speculated, for if we moved closer, they would turn and run into weeds or deeper water.  Audy was oblivious.

It is a shame to think these national treasures are being dismantled by this current administration. They actually generate revenue way beyond their costs for this country and are beloved by both Americans and tourists from all over the world. Sad. No respect for what belongs to all of us.

Boondocking Discovery

After a few nights of boondocking at a winery/brewery and family farm, I arrived in St. Augustine.  But during these two nights, I had a big “duh” moment and solved my morning coffee problem while boondocking.  I use an electric coffee pot most of the time, but unless I kick on the generator while boondocking, I can’t power the pot.  So, for most of my boondocking, I’ve left groggy and looking for my first cup of coffee.  Can’t do drive-thrus obviously, so sometimes it’s been truck stop convenience store crap, I mean coffee.  Then, at the winery, it hit me – I had packed my camp percolator!  As my emergency back-up.   Well, any time you don’t have coffee when you need coffee is a full-on, red-light emergency.  And it was right up there over my lounge all this time.  Problem solved, I’m cooking with gas – propane and making coffee the old-fashioned way. However, need to see if I can find some old-fashioned coffee grinds to go with it.  Drip grinds are finer and tend to escape the basket, meaning that you may need to use a strainer when you pour from the pot to the cup. Boondocking provides opportunities to meet fellow RVers.

At the family farm host, right by their pond, I had an impromptu happy hour with another traveler – he stopped by to talk for a minute and ended up grabbing a chair and another beer while I got my wine. Fun way to pass the time, talking about things we’d seen, done or where we’d stayed on our adventures – his lady friend and he had been living 100% in an RV for 10 years.

St. Augustine

Big, loud motorcycles are popular along Florida’s Atlantic Coast – lots in my KOA Campground and roaring around town.  Not sure it they were Wanna-Be’s or the real deal, or a mixture but when I went into historic St. Augustine to wander around for an afternoon, I notice the places where you could sit and drink had notices saying things like – no leathers, no colors, no insignias targeted at Harley riders.  I kind of thought of it as middle-aged and senior men on spring break?

For those who aren’t aware, St. Augustine is one of America’s oldest cities. It is where the lyrics for the Star-Spangled Banner originated after a battle from this old fort – our flag stood proud after the battle ended. Another American treasure at risk? Probably not because there aren’t any natural resources to take here.

Although by the second day in St. A’s, the weather was turning cloudy, Audy and got a good walk on a beach – not bathing suit weather but was comfortable in shorts and a t-shirt.  The Atlantic was dark and broody, but not that cold on my feet.  And I made a little collection of pearls like seashells prevalent on this beach.   Made this part of the trip complete for me – standing in the Atlantic as I did as a child, but much further north.  I will revisit my youth later this year when I make it to Rhode Island, Narragansett Bay, where I ran barefoot among the horseshoe crabs and rode in the basket inside an innertube while my father raked for quahogs.  More of that later, when I make that part of my journey.

Georgia on my mind

And that brings me up to date, where I am sitting in my home in Fort McAllister State Park in Georgia with the door open (it’s getting chilling) after a long walk through the salt marshes.  Love the tidal aspect of this area – see the photos taken at the same spot last night and this morning, Georgia is beautiful with its collaboration of pines and palmettos growing in the same sandy soil.  Deer roam freely through the campgrounds.  Storks, herons and pelicans roam the water ways at low tide looking for delicacies. I’m just happy it’s not raining at the moment. Also enjoyed Crooked River State Park, where I saw a baby armadillo! In Georgia? Expected that in Texas.

In the morning, I am moving on, northward tomorrow.  In another week, I will be turning west again.  I have been at this for over 2 months now, and even though I’ve got a lot of adventure ahead of me, feels a little sad to think of beginning the journey back – for this portion of my wanderings. 

I’m not done yet😊 Namaste.

For the fun of it, I’m throwing in some life on the road photos too!