Day 21: Meaher State Park, AL to Laura S. Walker State Park, GA

There's not much to report about today's activities.  We left early (7:45) from our campsite near Mobile and spent most of the day traveling eastward and northward, heading home.

We took I-10 across the Panhandle, not very inspiring views along the way.  Shortly after lunch (and after changing time zones back to Eastern) we took a break for lunch, which Ranger seemed to appreciate.  From there, we picked up US highways into Georgia, passing through Valdosta and up US 84 to Waycross where we stopped for the night at Laura S. Walker State Park.  That was almost 400 miles of driving.

The park is small and very tidy, a good spot for an overnight.  We managed to get a pull-through site so we did not need to unhook the car, which will save time in the morning. Easy dinner of reheated chicken (thanks for the use of your grill, Kelly) and the remainder of the black-beans-and-rice.  Time for some rest before more travel tomorrow.....but not before we watch the next episode of Downton Abbey!

Day 20: USS Alabama

We met Kelly and Michael late in the morning to do the tour of the USS Alabama.

It was a good tour, more enjoyable than I expected, though we didn't even see all the exhibits but stopped due to fatigue.  One could easily spend a whole day there.  

We all  returned to the campground for a late lunch.  Then Kelly and Michael went home, taking Ranger along in order for him to play in their fenced backyard.  Dan started putting things away in preparation for tomorrow's departure.  Then back to their house, where  Michael made delicious sourdough bread and a soup with black-eyed peas and tomatoes.  

The drive back was a bit circuitous due to road closings for still another Mardi Gras parade, but we are back and ready for a good night's sleep before a long day of driving tomorrow.  

The weather here in Mobile continued to be unseasonably warm and sunny, very pleasant for our last day before heading north again.  

Day 19: Dauphin Island and Mobile

We picked Kelly up late in the morning and headed out to Dauphin Island.  She had a meeting to attend at work while we walked the two dogs on the beach.

She also showed us around the Estuarium which is the venue for the upcoming (April 23) wedding reception, with ceremony on the beach (weather permitting).  It's an unusual location, but who would expect Kelly to have a traditional wedding?

While Kelly attended her meeting, we also had a chance to watch the rays being fed in the tank outside the Estuarium.

After walking the dogs through the Audubon Bird Sanctuary near the lab, we headed back to Mobile, where we left the dogs at Kelly's house and headed out to see the Mardi Gras parade.

We had a late dinner with some of Kelly and Michael's friends, picked up Ranger, and got back to the RV late, definitely ready for some sleep after a busy day.  

Day 18: Falling Waters State Park to Meaher State Park

Today we crossed from Florida into Alabama.

The day started out wet and overcast....again.  However, the skies cleared as we traveled the remaining 160 miles to Mobile, to visit Kelly and Michael.  Late this afternoon it's around 60 degrees and sunny.

Meaher is a very small park, located off Route 98, but it has nice paved sites and is close to downtown Mobile.  From the pier at the west end of the park, here's the view:

Interstate 10 runs just south of here, across the water, so we will hear traffic tonight.

After an early afternoon arrival, we had lunch and then went grocery shopping.  Back at the campground, Ranger and Dan did some bird-watching while I vacuumed lots of sand out of the RV and did some basic cleaning.  Now we're just relaxing, awaiting Kelly and Michael's arrival, to have dinner with us.  

Day 17: Rainbow Springs to Falling Waters State Park

Today was a day of surprises.  The weather forecast had been for a full day of rain, which was all right as we were to be driving most of the day anyway.  And the rain did fall much of the night.  But by breakfast time, it had stopped and we were able to pack up and attach the car without getting wet.

We drove north on I-75 from Ocala past Gainesville, to where it connects with I-10.  Heading west along the Panhandle, we were surprised to see the sun come out, so that by the time we stopped for lunch at a rest area it was bright and in the upper 70's.

I thought it peculiar that the weather for Chipley, the closest town to this state park, still said 59 degrees.  As we progressed toward Alabama, the temperature dropped....and dropped...and dropped.  Here in our campsite at Falling Waters it's currently 57 and overcast, and judging from the puddles, it must have rained quite a bit earlier.

Another surprise:  I did not expect to be a campground that was hilly.  This is the Panhandle, after all.  However, the park is located on Falling Waters Hill, one of the highest hills in Florida, elevation 324 feet.  With the car still hooked up, we're a bit aslant in this site, but it's only for one night so we'll just deal with it.

Ranger and I left to check out the hiking trails while Dan relaxed.  This is indeed a very different environment from the ranches and horse farms we left behind this morning.

We followed a short trail down to the lake which has a swimming beach (but also a warning sign about the alligators).

From there, we followed a series of boardwalks that took you over swampy areas with sinkholes and finally to the waterfall for which the park is named.

Between the overcast skies and the change in time zone, it's already looking a bit dark at 4:00.  It looks like we'll have a quiet evening before proceeding to Mobile tomorrow to visit Kelly.  

Day 16: Homosassa Springs State Park

Today we took a day trip to Homosassa Springs State Park.  This is another former 1950's era tourist attraction that went out of business when Disney World and Busch Gardens came in.  The land was given to the state and became a state park which also serves as a wildlife rehabilitation center for injured native fauna.

When it became a state park, one requirement was to remove all the non-native animals, so they all (with the exception of one hippo named Lu) were sold off, and the native animals remained.  So today, a visit to the park remains a walk through pathways with animal cages, each of which features a native Florida animal.  We saw bobcats, a puma, a river otter, deer, eagles and hawks, snakes, and so forth.  I particularly enjoyed the aviary where we could get a close look at many of the local birds.

The warm springs there also serve to draw in manatees which move from the colder river waters into the springs during the winter months.

Although the skies were overcast for much of the day today, one bank sign as we drove to the park said 80 degrees!  This is more like it!  The warmer weather is supposed to continue for the next few days, although there's more rain in the forecast.  

Day 15: Exploring Rainbow Springs State Park

Despite the fact that we woke up to 26 degree temperatures, this was one of the best days of the trip.  Rainbow Springs State Park is the nicest one so far, very clean and well-maintained, and our site is large and comfortable, with no neighbors to be seen out our windows.

Once the sun came up, temperatures rose fairly quickly.  Ranger and I took a short hike around the nature trail near the campground, about one mile in length, and he seemed to feel good, getting out and about early.  In late morning, with temperatures up in the mid-60's, Dan and I headed out on our bicycles along the tram path that connects this part of the park with the tubing area.

This state park is unusual in that it has three distinct sections, each with its own entrance.  We have, of course, been in the section with camping and the park office.  In warmer weather, people come to ride tubes from here downstream to the tubing section of the park, where they get out (and from which they pay their fee and park their cars).  The tram takes them up to the starting point, or for campers returns them their campsites.

However, at this time of year, no one is tubing, so the tram path provides a paved, flat place to bike.  It led to another lovely view of the Rainbow River.

After biking back to the RV, we had lunch and then left Ranger to take his afternoon nap in the camper while we checked out the third section of the park, the Headsprings..  

A gentleman I had chatted with back at Hillsborough said that he had previously been a campground host at Rainbow Springs and that we MUST see the headsprings.  And he was correct.  It was well-worth the trip. (One must drive over to it from the campground, about 15 minutes away.)

What is somewhat unusual about this place is that it has only been part of the state park since the 90's.  From the 1940's until the 1970's, it was privately owned and was a tourist attraction, complete with glass-bottom boats, monorail, a zoo, and even a rodeo!  

It even had artificial waterfalls, built with the tailings of the old phosphate mines, in the extensive gardens (with azaleas and camellias):

After driving around the town of Dunnellon a bit (lots of fast food, auto parts stores, and strip malls, but also a nice historic district with antique and gift shops), we returned to rescue Ranger in time for him to enjoy lying in the late afternoon sun while Dan grilled chicken for dinner.    And it's still close to 70 degrees, no rain, no wind.  Life is good!

Day 14: Ross Prairie to Rainbow Springs State Park

I don't think last night set any records in Florida, but it was certainly colder that average----26 degrees this morning!  It was a cold night, with all our blankets on the bed, the electric heater cranking out heat all night, and still it was only 50 inside.  So I turned on the propane furnace early, when I arose, bringing the temperature up into the low 60's.  Much better!

Ranger did not mind the cold at all.  He was ready for his early walk, and despite my intentions to make it a short one, he lingered outside, enjoying the sunshine and lack of gusty winds.  An improvement over yesterday!  And those horses were still there for his watchful eye.

We stayed in a warm RV until late morning, and we left a little after 11 o'clock for our next destination, Rainbow Springs State Park.....only about 16 miles away. (The park is between Ocala on the east and the Gulf on the west, near the town of Dunnellon.)   Fortunately our site was already emptied, and we could set up by lunchtime.  I really needed a good shower, and this park had just that----clean showers with plenty of hot water and lots of space for drying afterwards.  

So far, this is the best campsite and best shower of the trip!  Our site is spacious, with plenty of vegetation around to provide some privacy.  

It was time for some grocery shopping, so we left Ranger to take his afternoon nap and headed out to the nearest Publix.  Dan also picked up the bulb needed to fix the back light on the RV, and he spent time on our return with that.  It got into the high 50's by late afternoon, pleasant to sit in the sun, with jacket on, soaking up the sunshine.

In late afternoon, we walked down to the river, giving Ranger a chance to check out all the interesting new smells in this park.  In warmer weather, this is a popular place for swimming, kayaking, and especially tubing down the river.  

As we headed back to the campsite, a couple was just bringing in their kayak, having traveled to the nearby town of Dunnellon in one direction and the headsprings of the Rainbow River in the other.  A lovely  place to spend time on  the water!

The temperature is dropping quickly as the sun goes down.  We had a campfire, though it was too cold to sit comfortably outside to enjoy it.  Expected low for tonight....34 degrees.  We'll see whether that's correct!

Day 13: Chilly day in Florida

After yesterday's storms came through, the weather was supposed to turn colder and very windy, and it definitely did that!  However, we also had some lingering showers overnight, which caused me to be outside in my PJ's at 1 am, covering the bike seats and the grill with plastic bags to keep them dry.

It was a blustery morning for Ranger's first walk, though he never seems to mind the cold.  We packed up and left Hillsborough River a little after 11, and by then, I thought the temperatures might be rising.  No....they stayed in the upper 40's all day, with winds continuing as well.  I was glad that Dan was driving in that wind which buffeted the  RV all along I-75 as we  headed north.

Our stopping place was just 80 miles away, at Ross Prairie State Park/Forest (different names on different maps).  We ended up with just the one night here because it's a Saturday, a tough day to get overnight reservations in a Florida park, and it is on the way---really very close---to our next destination at Rainbow Springs State Park, near Dunnellon, west of Ocala.  

I wondered what to expect, as this is actually an "equestrian campground".  The sites are all out in the open (which is nice today as we have the sun on us, providing a little bit of warmth).  They are all large pull-through sites, long enough for large horse trailers, and rather than being lined up in a row, they curve around in sort of a paisley pattern---very unusual.  And yes, there are posts to which to tie one's horse, and the state forest is criss-crossed with horse trails.  

So here's the view from our RV this afternoon:

Ranger seems to find those funny-looking big "dogs" across the campground road quite entertaining to watch.

We bundled up, with knit hats and gloves, and walked around the 2 1/4 mile "holly hammock trail".  The vegetation here is quite different from just a little farther south: no palm trees, fewer palmettos, lots of pines, and dense undergrowth.  

The campground host just stopped in to remind us to unhook our water hose tonight and leave the spigot dripping.  Temperatures are supposed to get below freezing.  But at least it's not snowing!

Day 12: Rainy day at Hillsborough River State Park

The weather forecast said rain for the whole day, and I awoke to the sound of light rain on the roof.  Ranger and I managed to get in a short walk between showers.  Then we had a quiet morning inside the RV, awaiting something from the "severe thunderstorm warning" that was posted until 5 pm.

I did manage to get sheets and towels washed, and I vacuumed the RV to remove the large amounts of sand that had built up in the carpet.  Around noon, a strong storm blew through with thunder, lightning, and pouring rain.

Here's the view from the RV doorway on a rainy day:

The afternoon remained cloudy with intermittent showers, but by around 4:00, it had cleared enough that we could get Ranger outside for a walk along the River Rapids trail.  Our neighbors, a couple from Connecticut, said they had seen an alligator along there earlier in the day, but no luck---we didn't see any.

Many of the campers had packed up and left this morning, but with this being a weekend, the campground is once again FULL.  A couple from Staten Island moved into the next site in a small trailer, and diagonally behind a group of young people---many college students?----put up several tents and are enjoying a campfire this evening.  We have a short drive tomorrow, so we don't need to leave early, again heading north on I-75.  Tomorrow is supposed to be very windy, behind today's storm, and much colder.  

Day 11: Honeymoon Island State Park

After a slow start to the day, we headed out in the car to Honeymoon Island State Park, a little over 40 miles west of where we are camping.  It was a bit warmer in the AM, upper 40's and partly cloudy.  

After a long drive (1 1/2 hours) to drive about 44 miles, we arrived at Honeymoon Island . One thing we learned in our exploration of this area:  all the major highways run north/south. If you are traveling east/west, you're on minor roads with lots of traffic lights!  

Once at the park, we walked the Osprey Trail on this barrier island and saw LOTS of ospreys!

It seemed that everywhere we looked there was another osprey or osprey nest!

From there we had lunch at the concession stand at the beach, then moved on to the dog beach:

Kelly, you would be surprised to hear that on this dog beach, one must keep dogs on their six-foot leashes.  But it was a pleasant place to view willets and pelicans.

We returned to Hillsborough River State Park as the almost-full moon came up.  We enjoyed another fine campfire in the high 50-degree temperatures.  Perfect for sitting outside in the evening!

It's supposed to be warmer tonight, but rain moving in tomorrow.  Better than the snow that is predicted for Montpelier VA!

Day 10: At Hillsborough River State Park

It was a chilly morning here.  Ranger woke me earlier than usual (about 6:45), ready to head out for his walk, and it was 37 degrees.  It got down to 57 inside the RV.  Once up and dressed, it was not too bad, though Dan chose to stay in bed, under the blankets until the sun warmed things up a bit.

We had a late, leisurely breakfast of scrambled eggs, Canadian bacon, and toast; then we headed out for a hike.  Ranger seemed happy to be on the trail, rather than sitting in the back seat of the car (or in the RV):

We hiked around the Florida Trail, about 3 1/2 miles.  Most of it was in mixed palm/palmetto/hardwood forest with a fair amount of mud, but the last mile or so was along the river:

We returned to the campsite for a late lunch and some relaxation in the by-then mid-60's temperatures.  Later in the afternoon, Ranger and I did one more short hike along the river.

Ranger is well-entertained by the large number of dogs near this campsite.  Two of our close-by neighbors pulled out this morning, and the couple from Connecticut who pulled into the site behind ours has a poodle mix that seems very eager to play with Ranger.  There are also two dogs across the road who need his attention (in his opinion).

We had a good campfire in late afternoon, then headed in and turned on the little heater for an evening of reading and relaxation.  

Day 9: Myakka River State Park to Hillsborough River State Park

We got up fairly early, packed up, and headed north on I-75, traveling about 80 miles to Hillsborough State Park, northeast of Tampa. Hillsborough is one of the oldest state parks, with many of the buildings having been built by CCC boys in the 30's.  I made an unfortunate choice of sites here; our site is very small and we have neighbors close by on three sides.  

Other than the site, this park seems quite nice.  Ranger and I took a walk along the river this afternoon.  We did see a few people canoeing, despite the cool temperatures; the park is known for good kayaking and canoeing.  There is a cafe and gift shop here, as well as a large swimming pool which, in this weather, is not open for business!  

So the weather.....the radio-announcer said that they are expecting the coldest night of the season tonight, going into the 30's.  Indeed, it was a very cool afternoon here, in the 50's, enough so that we were back in jackets and jeans.  (I did have an opportunity this afternoon to do some laundry, so at least we have clean jeans and warm shirts for the upcoming days.)

We're here for four days, and we hope to explore the coast near Tampa.