The drive through Tennessee was quite enjoyable, both because of scenery and because of perfect weather.  We traveled from Chattanooga through Knoxville and finally entered Virginia on I-81.  We had no reservations or real plans for our last night on the road, and actually had we pushed it, we could have gotten home in one long stretch, arriving before 9:00.

But it was a beautiful day, around 70 degrees, with a forecast of rain on Wednesday and temperatures in the 20's on Thursday.  So we decided to take advantage of the good weather and stopped around 4:00 at Claytor Lake State Park,  south of Blacksburg.  Again, there were not many campers (just four sites occupied in our section) but there were quite a few people walking around

and some out fishing.  It was early enough to get in a good walk with Ranger along the lake.

Dan grilled chicken and it stayed light late enough to sit outside and enjoy the warmth....while we still have it!

Tomorrow should be another 4 to 5 hours of driving, and then we face all the unpacking and laundry, not to mention the work that has piled up at my office!  But for now....life is good!

Monday was a long day of driving through Alabama, south to north, through Mobile, Montgomery, and Birmingham.  The scenery was quite boring, mile after mile of trees and shrubs with few towns or variations in the landscape.  We ended the day crossing into northwest Georgia (another change of time zone) and arrived at Cloudland Canyon State Park, close to Chattanooga.

We arrived after the park office closed for the day but managed to find the East Rim campground and set up, one of only three sets of campers in a good-sized area.  The park was nearly empty, but apparently it's very popular with hikers, with trails going from the rim of the canyon down to its bottom, with views of waterfalls.

Between the change to Daylight Savings Time and the loss of an hour going from Central to Eastern Time Zone,  it was hard to figure out just what time it was.  I managed to sleep until 7:45 on Tuesday morning, very unusual for me, and even then the sun had not yet gotten above the mountain behind us so it was barely light!

Sunday was a quieter day.  Kelly and Michael took us around Dauphin Island, with lots of stops for bird-watching.  We didn't have great luck spotting birds, but it was a warm sunny day and it was good to simply be outside.

We stopped in a seafood restaurant for lunch---our only restaurant meal of the trip---and returned to the campground in mid-afternoon.  Kelly and I took the two dogs for a long walk on the beach, and Ranger enjoyed splashing in the waves and getting all sandy.

Michael prepared another delicious meal of tacos with lots of vegetables, and then it was back to the RV to rest up for a couple of long days of driving, heading north again.

Saturday was a busy day.  In the morning, Kelly and Rossi came over (about a 5-minute walk from her trailer) and we all walked over to the Audubon Bird Sanctuary that is adjacent to the campground.  It had trails through swamps, woods, and beach, so quite a variety of birds to be seen.

After lunch, we headed into  Mobile.  We stopped at Meaher State Park, east of Mobile, where we had a view of the city across the bay.

From their we walked around downtown Mobile for awhile, stopping for a cold drink and snacks at a dog-friendly bar.

Back at the campground, Dan grilled dinner and we had a quiet evening together.

The weather has been in the 60's and partly cloudy---not bad!

Today, Sunday, we have plans for some beach-walking and bird-watching on the island.

Friday was a day of travel, covering about 320 miles across the Florida Panhandle, past Mobile, and on to Dauphin Island.  After setting up and taking  much-needed hot showers , we contacted Kelly, who gave us a tour of her new place of employment.

This is the building where she has her office, her lab, and space for future graduate students.

We had dinner at their double-wide trailer---Michael's excellent red beans and rice with cornbread.  With the change to Central Time Zone, we were in bed very early, both really tired.

This morning, Saturday, Ranger---who does not understand time zones---was up and ready for his morning walk at 5:45.  It was cool (around 40) and partly cloudy, and the forecast is for upper 60's, which will be welcome.

OK, Dan convinced me that what I saw this morning was not a red-cockaded woodpecker, rather it was a female yellow-bellied sapsucker.  In summoning him to come check it out, he stepped out of the RV right when two squirrels were running by, and  Ranger slipped by him and took off.  Fortunately he was fairly easy to catch.  (Thankfully he is VERY fond of the dog frisbee that I held up when I spotted him near the bathhouse.)

One of those visiting squirrels was, however, the other creature for which this park is known.  Ochlockonee has a population of white squirrels which are very easy to spot and quite numerous around the campground.

The rain stopped for awhile in early afternoon and we were able to get Ranger out for a long walk.
And after more than an hour's walk, as we approached the campground, there were the sought-after red-cockaded woodpeckers!  They are endangered and found in just a few locations, so if we had missed them here, we would likely not have them on this year's list.

The rain is just starting up again so it's time to settle in with a book until dinner.  I think we've had our last walk along the river for this trip, with plans to leave early tomorrow morning.

As predicted,  today (Thursday) is a gray, drizzly day.  We are at Ochlockonee River State Park at the east end of the Panhandle, and we have lost the warm temperatures, with highs today in the low 50's.  I know that those of you who are still digging out of the latest snowstorm in the Richmond area are probably not feeling too sorry for us at this time!

We have been to this park before, and it's rather nice to be able to find our way around easily.  It's a small park, under  500 acres, running along the river in a pine grove.  What it is known for is as one of the few locations for spotting red-cockaded woodpeckers, and this morning on the way to the bathhouse, there was one, right along the path.  As I have been relaxing, answering emails, and reading this morning, Dan and Ranger have been out walking and probably doing lots of bird-watching along the way.

On days like this, it's especially good to have our little RV, as opposed to tent-camping!

It will be tough to give up the near 80-degree temperatures tomorrow as we head north toward the Panhandle.  Today's shorts and t-shirts will likely switch to long pants and long-sleeves tomorrow, which is forecast to be around 60 and rainy.  Our destination tomorrow is Ochlockonee River State Park, located at the bend of Florida.  After about 300 miles of driving, it will likely be an evening of staying in and reading.


Today was delightful, though!  Sunny and very warm, just what one comes to Florida to enjoy.  We did some bird-watching at the lake in the morning and then headed out on our bikes to explore the park a bit more.  We watched a swallow-tailed kite over a river  and later climbed to the Canopy Walk which provides a view of the entire park from high up.    Late afternoon was for reading, napping, and one more bike ride.  Dan grilled our dinner, figuring that the next few evenings may be cooked inside on the propane stove.

We are continuing to enjoy sunshine and warmth and relaxation at Myakka River State Park.  Yesterday we got a slow start to the  morning, took a bike ride to the Birdwalk (a boardwalk out into the lake from which birdwatching is especially good), and returned to the campsite in time to greet Dan's cousin Mike Collins and his wife who came to visit.

The birding here has been less successful than on our last trip, and we wondered whether it was because we are traveling a month later than in past years.  However, a ranger at the Birdwalk said that they have had fewer birds congregating on the lake this year because the water level was high---they have had quite a bit of rain.  That being the case, birds disperse more, rather than gathering here as they do in dry years.

We walked over to the lake with Mike and Mary, though, and had a chance to see quite a few different birds, though in small numbers:  great blue heron, little blue heron, green heron, tri-colored heron, white ibis, glossy ibis, cormorants, and the ever-present vultures.

It was a pleasant afternoon to sit outside and chat. We had a nice dinner together and a campfire, which was a good ending to a very enjoyable day.

Even more enjoyable knowing that at home it was snowy with temperatures in the low teens!

Today's drive took us to Myakka River State Park, near Sarasota, where we will stay until Wednesday.  It's sunny, breezy, and mid-70's---nice enough to get out of long-sleeved shirt and long pants and  into something more suitable for Florida.  It being a Sunday afternoon, the park is crowded with visitors, but we are hoping for a little more peaceful time here on the upcoming weekdays.

We strolled over to Upper Myakka Lake (about a 5 minute walk) and saw some of the local wildlife.

Time for Dan to get out the grill and open a beer!

On Saturday we traveled from Lake Marion in SC through Georgia and into Florida.  We arrived in late afternoon at Manatee Springs State Park, west of Gainesville.  The campground is not great, but an easy walk took us to the springs where, yes, we did see manatees. 

So nice to see outside in the 70-degree temperatures!  Ranger seemed to enjoy getting back into his camping routine, watching people come and go along the campground road and sniffing all sorts of new smells.

On our early morning walk, we saw quite a few deer and LOTS of vultures.