Gulf Coast

Everglades and Little Manatee State Park

After a nice week at John Pennekamp SP, it was time to move over to the Gulf Coast of Florida. Garmi, our GPS, suggested a direct route to our next stop using major roads. We opted for a route thru the center of Everglades National Park on US 27. Amazing area. Wading birds by the hundreds, a few alligators (all this at 50 mph), airboats and native villages greeted us mile after mile. Interesting thing, the windshield wasn’t coated by bugs!

hundreds, possibly thousands of Egrets, Herons, Wood Storks,

a most enjoyable drive through the Everglades

Just West of the Everglades, we swung due North towards Sarasota and our next home for a few days, Little Manatee River SP . This is a neat, no frills, 30 site State Park located 6 miles South of Sun City.  LMRSP. Offers nice habitat, walking trails and great sites at a modest price. While there we ventured to the Sun City Post Office to mail Christmas cards and were we totally surprised by the number of golf carts!!. This is the heart of retirement central. Polyester slacks and golf carts (some enclosed) dominated the scene. Looks like a neat way to go.

interesting to see what is different

Hiking trail at LMRSP

land of on street golf carts and ????

We then headed a little bit farther on to the Manatee Viewing Center viewing area at the power plant. Several pods of Manatees are there along with a nice nature boardwalk and gift shop. While walking across the parking lot I noticed green stripes designating special parking. This turns out to be for electric vehicles, complete with charging station.

very nice 

Green spaces?? charge away!

While at the campground, we met John and Dorothy, who are in their first month of full timing it! Sold their house and hit the road. We keep meeting people doing the same thing (there are over 1 million full time RVers in the USA.

Our time at LMRSP was short, 2 nights, and we headed on to our next Gulf Coast site, Manatee Springs State Park. MSSP is located where the Florida Panhandle begins west of Ocala. The are actually Manatees in the springs , lots of deer and numerous species of raptors. This would be a very nice family destination as there are numerous activities to enjoy and the setting is great! Our drive there included many miles in I75 then US Alt 27 to Chiefland. Interesting country to be seen there. Lots of cattle and horse farms, hardwood trees  make you think your in the mid west (until you see the palm trees! )

right at the bend of the Gulf Coast there are many miles of this scenery

hiking and biking trails, manatees, kayaking and snorkeling are available at MSSP

While out on the end of the boardwalk looking at Manatees, several people mentioned another spot , about 1 hour away where the Manatees come into the Springs in colder weather (which we were experiencing - 60's, brrrr......)  Crystal River 3 Sisters Preserve. We headed there the following morning. Way cool. Over 100 manatees were in the Springs, which the docent mentioned have up to 500 at times. You can even snorkel with the manatees (you snorkel, they don't ;)  )

3 Sisters Springs - home to hundreds of manatees

nursing mother at lower right

We had one more stop in Florida - Grayton Beach State Park. Located on the Panhandle  60 miles east of Pensacola, GBSP is right on the water and most beautiful. White powder sand beaches, emerald green water and nice camp sites. Garmi, the GPS, suggested I10, we opted for US98 and the  Big Bend Scenic Byway. Fabulous drive, 50 mph and right along the Gulf of Mexico.

yup, right on the waters edge for miles!

we stopped and ate lunch with this as our view

We have been pleased with all of our locations, and each has been unique in what it has to offer. For beach dwelling, this was our favorite.

Grayton Beach - stunning

Cindy getting in some beach time on a windy afternoon

several people have recommended GBSP and we were not disappointed. Dune Pond just behind our rig

sunrise from just behind our rig

we were told there are only 4 places in the world with dune ponds!

This has been another enjoyable part of our adventure. We are off again, heading farther west! More to come in a few days.

Take Care

Cooper and CJ

Key Largo

Key Largo John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park December 1

Our planning for this long trip included finding warmer places to visit over the Winter months. Neither Cindy nor I had ever been to the Florida Keys so we looked into Key West first. A year ago, the state park was booked as were most of the private campgrounds. (Turns out this was a good thing for us as these places were devastated by the hurricanes this Fall).  Looking a bit further North, we spotted John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park I read up on it, and we were able to book a site for the beginning of December for one week! Then as we continued on building our itinerary, we knew we had a warmer place for that time period. Then came the storms of September with a direct impact on the Florida Keys! We waited to see how the park did as the news reported great damage to the area. If the park was not able to open, we’d need to do some scrambling to find new sites until our swing westward by Christmas. The park website kept reporting for weeks that they were working on getting things cleaned up after major storm damage. Finally in mid November, we called and YES!! They were once again able to offer camping! (We were later informed that one state park farther South no longer has its camping area that was right on the beach- it doesn’t exist)

JPSP boat channel - you bring your own or rent

observation area

Beach restored for swimming

Delightful temps of high 70’s during the days with blue skies and a nice breeze were shorts and t shirt  weather all day and night. Great for biking, kayaking and of course - dog walking.

warm and sunny - hat a must

Friday night we walked around and saw the massive effort that was made to clean up the park and get things moving towards normal. The concessions- scuba diving, snorkling, kayaking and boat rentals were on line but operating from temporary offices brought in til permanent repairs can be completed.

visitors center and canteen still getting renovated

Our first full day we opted to take the glass bottom boat tour over the only coral reef on the East Coast! Corals, Barracudas, Star Fish and even a Sea Turtle (at a distance) were observed. Our guide, Cathy, did a great job (a Dramine helped as well). She was very passionate about the reef and shared that her dad was a commercial spear fisherman!

only coral reef  on the East Coast

Glass Bottom Boat - nice tour

Sunday we took the Ranger Nature Walk. We learned about the 3 kinds of Mangrove trees - red, white and black that can filter out salt water, the Mahogany Tree and the Poisonwood Tree- even the bark, which has bumps and a shiny surface can give a severe reaction like our Poison Ivy does, and of course Palm Trees. The Ranger, when asked about the damage in September, shared that they were out of the area for 6 days, and due to the damage to their home, living in their RV ever since. They are working at the park all week and gutting and rebuilding their house at night and off days! Paradise has its rough edges.


Trips to the library for faster internet access, a trip down US1. To see the impact of the storm there and patching a rough spot on the roof of the RV were things that took time as well.

mile after mile, they scoop it up and large trucks haul it away, 3 months later!

still working at it - saw a boat on its side in a yard

wait to work on roof til it dries off

The first several days had constant 15 mph winds, so we held off on Kayaking. Then on Wednesday they subsided and we took a 1 hour paddle in a double yak through the natural Mangrove area. Very interesting how they keep sending shoots out to spead into the saltwater. We thought we were doing really well until a couple came by on Paddle Boards. they were 80 and 82 years old!

nice paddle through a Mangrove area

We have reached the end of our stay here and shortly will be heading up the Gulf Coast.

Pilot House - featured on Dinners, Drive ins and dives

Thanks for reading.

take care

Cooper and CJ

Titusville Fl

Titusville Manatee Hammock County Park November 27

Departing Skidaway Island State Park bright and early Monday morning, we drove out to Dorsey Tire to have a valve stem extension added to the inner rear wheels. After trying several items on my own, we were in need of air and no easy means to reach the factory valve stem (very, very frustrating). The people at Dorsey were prompt and added the extension to the right wheel where needed, added air and we were on I95 South in two minutes. (Unfortunately, they did not add an extension to the left side as expected-this will be addressed later).  We had approx 280 miles to our next stop in Titusville Florida- Manatee Hammock Campground. We had made our reservation at MH last December as a place in the general area, but the more we checked into it, the more we were looking forward to staying there. With the devastation caused by the back to back hurricanes this Fall, we weren’t sure if they would be open. We had received a call from them several weeks ago stating that our site had been damaged by the storms and we could get a refund or another site. We went for the other site and WOW!! What a change. We were placed in the row closest to the water with gorgeous views of Indian River and miles away - Kennedy Space Center (the huge Vehicle Assembly Building clearly seen). A large portion of the park is still closed due to storm damage, including the water front, pier and multiple sites unavailable, possibly permanently. Pleasant temperatures both day and night were ours to enjoy.

sunrise at MHCP - Indian River

view from our campsite - NASA visible across river

First on our list of interests was to visit NASA - Kennedy Space Center. 11 miles away, 15 minutes of driving and we were looking at items from the beginning of the space age to the present. We upgraded to the guided launch pad tour and our guide was very knowledgeable, and included many interesting side notes. The bus trip took us to the launch pads where the Apollo and Space Shuttle launches took place and the Vehicle Assembly Building (the doors were open and the tractor and mobile launch platform clearly visible). A good bit was said about the Mars mission, they are working on the rocket now and if you know any 7 -17 year olds who want to go to Mars in 20 years, have them get their applications in. We also saw a Saturn V rocket, lunar rovers and.... touched a piece of moon rock as well as saw the Shuttle Atlantis. A great day.

Kennedy Space Center Visitors entrance - early rockets and capsules in background

Vehicle Assembly building in background - stripes in flag are 8 ft wide!

tractor taking mobile launch platform out to pad

launch pad for Shuttle, Apollo and future Mars missions in background

Shuttle Atlantis

Titusville is Manatee country, and the next day was devoted to Nature. The next day we drove through Canaveral National Seashore-  Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge. Our campground neighbors (they have been Wintering there for 18 years) had mentioned that we should be sure to take the Black Point Wildlife drive. There we saw many interesting species, including a close up of the Roseate Spoonbill.

Roseate Spoonbill- color comes from eating shrimp!!

several Spoonbills along with Egrets, 

This is not something you could easily overlook. Many interesting birds and alligators were viewed closeup as well. From Black Point, we continued on a few miles to Manatee Observation Deck, overlooking a canal where manatees hang out on a regular basis. At first we weren’t seeing any, and then, rocks slowly started moving- Manatees! They slowly moved to a small inlet and there were over a dozen, mostly young ones hanging out.

look closely - those blobs in the water are Manatees!

Our stay here was rather short, only four days and we are off again!

take care

Cooper and CJ

Savannah

Skidaway Island State Park November 18

Our journey continued with a rather short drive from Charleston SC to Skidaway Island, GA home of  Skidaway Island State Park near Savannah. Based on recommendations from several people and neighboring RVers, we used Hwy 17 until it blended with I95. Hwy 17, often passing under a canopy of Live Oaks, was a scenic, non-hectic yet 50 mph route to our next home. We had pleasant drive and arrived at SISP mid afternoon. The staff indicated which sites were available to pick from (a different approach from having a specific site assigned, here they reserve a type of site and you pick yours from the available ones at arrival). Until the 1970’s, Skidaway Island was only accessible by boat and at this time is rather natural. Wetlands, marshes, Spanish Mosh, Live Oaks, alligators, Herons, Civil War earthworks and moonshiner stills can be seen walking or biking the trails within the park.

Our Site - #44 very nice

Palmetto and Live Oaks abound

The staff at the park office suggested the trolley ride by Old Town as a good way to see Savannah and we took this advice and headed into the city. The GPS took us right into the historic area and soon we were riding the trolley and getting Savannah History 101. Sitting on a high bluff over the Savannah River, the city was founded in the 1730’s by James Oglethorpe as the center point of a new type of colony. Built according to a well laid out plan, Savannah survived the Revolutionary War, Civil War, fires and disease to offer a beautiful look at earlier times. Many houses, ornate with wrought iron gates and balcony railings, join numerous parks created at the founding at the city. 

many fine older homes can bee seen downtown - notice the  wrought iron railings -a sign of prosperity

Jones St, considered the prettiest street in America, was enjoyed by us when we took advantage of being able to hop off and on the trolley at designated points.

Jones St - one of the prettiest street in America!

In the midst of the historic area is the church where the  song "Jingle Bells" was composed in the 1850's.

interesting place for the  creation of an all time classic!

The water front, in spots untouched for many years, offers great views and many dining choices. We chose the Boar’s Head Grill and Tavern (a restored cotton warehouse on the river front) and enjoyed the lunch special.

many fun places to eat along the waterfront

Needing a Wifi fix (SISP doesn’t have it), we ventured over to Barnes and Noble the next day. There we enjoyed a hot beverage, did some downloads and a bit of shopping. Back at the campsite we enjoyed a walk later followed by some RV maintenance items and it was time to call it an evening. 

Tybee Island lies 28 miles away by car (or Jeep) and offers a restored Lighthouse and Lightkeepers’ cottages, nice beaches, museum and coastal artillery fort. The light house, standing over 190’ tall,  stands on a nicely restored campus the includes 3 Keeper’s cottages (the head keeper’s cottage would make a really cool house) and the first 60 or so feet of the tower stands on the original 1773 brick base. At the top, a 1st order Fresnel lens, 9 ft tall and 6ft in diameter, still operates to guide ships. 

Lightkeeper's station - since the late 1700's

Thanksgiving Day began with a steady rain, but the plans of the day revolved around watching the Macy’s Parade followed by the Purina dog show. That evening found us joining the crowds at Target. Our mission to get a 3ft artificial, pre-lit tree for the RV was successful and combined with the beach theme snow globe, Santa floormat and outdoor signs, we are now decorated for the holidays.

a little touch of the Holiday

Friday and Saturday were worked on the RV (which included a trip to Camping World to pick up two LED twin light fixtures for the main living area, replacing the  dimmer original units) , cleaning house, walking dogs, exploring more of the local area. 

Sunday we visited the nature center at SISP, and viewed their Giant Sloth, followed by walking the nature trails back to the campground.

SISP has over 4 miles of great trails

We wrapped up our last day by driving a few miles over to Wormsloe Historic Site. You may recognize the long driveway with the Live Oak tunnel from several Hollywood movies

Wormsloe Driveway , over 1/2 mile long - used in many movies

All said, Skidaway Island State Park is a very nice place to stay.

take care

Cooper and CJ