Frank and Jen On the Road

Moved on south, against the wind, to find our winter home RV park right where we left it in Tucson, Arizona. Got all set up, then went over to Carl and Eileen's to see the changes they have made to their home (looks great), and enjoy some pizza and fun company.

Ventured back up to Sun City, as Jen's cousins are in town for a couple of days. Had a nice visit and enjoyed a great dinner at Bob and Roxie's.

Sunday started out with a nice sunrise, and we decided to just have a lazy day around camp. In the afternoon, the wind kicked up and we had dust storms all around us, filling the air with grit. Then we got thunderstorms, including some good rain that cleaned the grit out of the air and spread it all over everything else. After a shopping day on Monday, Frank spent today cleaning the dirty rain off the motorhome. Got lazy and took the car to a carwash.

After a nice visit with Jen's relatives, we moved a bit further south to our Western Horizons park in Casa Grande, Arizona. We have driven past this park several times without stopping, so we decided to try it out for a week before continuing to our winter home in Tucson.

Moved on south to a nice RV park in Sun City, Arizona, where we will spend a couple of days visiting with a couple of Jen's aunts. We saw some saguaro cactus on the way down, so I guess we are headed in the right direction.

Continued on southeast, through hills and valleys, to our Thousand Trails park in Cottonwood, Arizona. We will relax here for a week, waiting for temperatures to drop closer to normal.

Moved southeast, across the Colorado River at Laughlin, ending up at an RV park at Kingman, Arizona for the night.

Drove through the Nevada side of the Lake Mead National Recreation Area, seeing more beautiful colored hills. Stopped at one of the marina areas for a bite of lunch. The lake itself is so low, a couple of the boat launches are closed. Drove out through the Valley of Fire State Park, which is full of red-colored landscapes. Took what looked on the map like a nice drive back to Boulder City, but ended up somewhere in Las Vegas traffic before finding the correct highway.

Moved on through the Spring Mountains, skirted the south end of Las Vegas, and found our little RV park in Boulder City, Nevada. We are just a few miles from Hoover Dam and the Lake Mead National Recreation Area.

Drove to Ash Meadows Wildlife Refuge, halfway to Death Valley. Not a lot of wildlife this time of year, but we did see lizards, some flowers, more desert views, and several areas of water. Found some extremely clear pools with several varieties of little Pupfish. Returned to another section of Death Valley, seeing more colors. Ventured up out of the valley to find the charcoal kilns built in 1879 to make charcoal from surrounding Pinyon Pines. Both Frank and Jen had to take a look inside. Continued on up to the end of the steep, narrow, rough road. Found a small campground over 8000 feet from the valley floor, with magnificent views across the valley. As usual, this all took longer than expected, so we did not have time to visit Scotty's Castle further north. We were there so long that we got to see the sunset on the way home.

Drove over to Death Valley National Park, expecting a desolate landscape. That pretty much describes the valley floor, including the chunks of crystallized salt of the Devil's Golf Course. The surrounding hills and mountains, however, were a beautiful kaleidoscope of shapes and colors. Difficult to capture the effects, but we tried and tried and tried and tried and tried and tried and tried. Found some short hikes, but decided against them since the temps were in the mid 90's.

Wandered down to the winery to look around and take the tour. After tasting a dozen of their offerings, we staggered back to the RV for lunch, which of course led to a nap. Had a nice sunset tonight, and even a bit of a reverse sunset.

Moved on south, through more of the desolate (but pretty) high desert and mountains. Even passed through fields of yucca plants. Ended up in our Western Horizons park in Pahrump, Nevada, with attached winery and a view of Charleston Peak.

Jen not feeling well, so we didn't explore Reno (probably saved some money). Headed southeast, past Walker Lake and through the flat desert surrounded by multi-colored hills, stopping in a little park in Tonopah, Nevada for the night. Poor cell and no internet, so I guess this won't get posted today.

Had views of snow-covered hills as we moved east over Donner Pass to a nice little RV park in Fernley, Nevada (30 miles east of Reno). They are warning of a hard freeze tonight (oh joy!).

We have had a few snow flurries (temps below freezing every night), just small flakes that blow around and never seem to reach the ground. Drove up to the rest area at Donner Pass, where there was ice on the streams and we needed our sweaters ( Bullett was wishing he had one). Dropped down and drove around Donner Lake, where there are quite a few vacation homes. Drove on south to look around north Lake Tahoe, where there was still remnants of the lake-effect snow they have received in the last couple of days. Beautiful area with really nice vacation homes and condos.

We did manage to find the turkeys again last night. Moved east into the mountains, stopping at a viewpoint along the way. Found our Thousand Trails park near Emigrant Gap, California, and parked under some cliffs (hope they stay there). A beautiful setting at 5700 feet, in a pine forest with large cones that Bullett hopes don't land on him. Chance of snow flurries in the next couple of days - should be interesting.

A lazy, relaxing day for us and the deer. Just wandered around the park dodging the herds. Saw some turkeys, but couldn't get a picture.

Another beautiful morning, and some of the locals even stopped by for breakfast. A day for laundry and "exploring" Oregon House, which seems to consist of a post office and market.

Awoke to a clear blue sky and got a peek at Mt. Shasta on our way out. Moved further south to our Thousand Trails park at Oregon House, CA, where we were greeted by some of the local residents. A day for laundry and exploring Oregon House - the post office and market is about all there is.

Awoke to the sight of snow on the higher peaks around Crater Lake. Headed south through the Siskiyous, crossed Lake Shasta, which is very low, and ended up at a nice little RV park in Redding, California for the night. We would have a nice view of Mt. Shasta if it wasn't covered by clouds.

We timed our visit well - had two nice days at Crater Lake before the weather changed. Just sat around yesterday enjoying the deluge from the comfort of the RV. Awoke this morning to some clearing and were delighted to find a nice rainbow greeting us. If we looked closely, we could make out the double rainbow.

Back to the national park today. Most cloudy, so the lake was not as blue, but still beautiful. We hiked the trail to the lake, descending 700 feet in 1.1 miles (the return took twice as long as the descent). Frank managed to get splashed, while Jen just sat and watched. Frank hiked up to one of the watchtowers while Jen waited in the car. Had a great 360-degree view, looking down on Wizard Island, and looking out at the forest fire that has moved inside the park bourdaries. We took one more short hike out to the edge of where the 2006 fire burned 3000 acres. We saw the dead trees, surrounded by new growth starting to re-assert itself.

Visited Crater Lake National Park - hadn't been there since the early 80's. We found the lake just as breathtaking as ever. The "phantom ship" is still lurking and the pinnacles have not yet eroded away. Even found a waterfall that seems to come out of nowhere. The only wildlife we spotted was the ever-present Golden Mantled Ground Squirrel. We had Bullett with us, so had to pretty much stick to the rim drive. Will try to return tomorrow without him and explore some of the trails. They normally have some snow by this time of year, so we are fortunate to have sunshine and 70's, though it is supposed to cool down and rain in a couple of days (the firefighters have their fingers crossed).

After a lazy week of enjoying the warm days and cool nights, we headed south again. As the state park we were aiming at is closed this week for paving, we ended up at a nice little RV park at Fort Klamath, Oregon. We are set up right on Fort Creek, and have been watching the forest fire not too far away. They say it is 40% contained and not threatening Crater Lake, so we'll see.

Awoke to the wind still blowing, of course. Our usual bridge was closed for repaving, so we had to detour through The Dalles to find a way across the river. This led to a route through north central Oregon we had never tried, so we took it. Mostly up and down through ranch country, with views of Mt. Hood at the top of the ups. Got a bit slow winding through Maupin over the Deschutes River, but we made it to our Thousand Trails park in Bend, OR with no problems.

After spending a few warm, sunny days relaxing, watching the sunset over the river, we headed south. Went into the gorge on I-90, past the iron horses, and re-crossed the river at Vantage. Turned back south at Ellensburg and descended into the gorge one more time, ending up in Maryhill State Park (near Goldendale, WA) for the night. Beautiful campground (except for no internet access), with sites on the river, where we can watch the wind surfers and kite boarders do their thing in the ever-present wind.

After a shakey start, we are on the road again. We headed back over the Cascades and after several construction delays and an accidental tour of downtown Wenatchee, we arrived at our Thousand Trails park at the Crescent Bar recreation area near Quincy, Washington. We found that our satellites won't work (portable or rooftop), so we will spend a few days trying to get that corrected (should be fun with no cell service).

It has been a restful couple of months, taking a break from travelling, catching up on medical checkups, driver's licenses, etc., stocking up on firewood for next summer, and seeing family again. Yesterday we had a big family end-of-summer gathering here, including (of course) our new great granddaughter Paisley. We had a total of 19 people, including 5 generations, along with 5 dogs. It was a potluck, featuring Lynda's (sister-in-law) teriyaki chicken, with really fresh corn and lots of other good stuff. It was a great time - it has been quite a while since we were all together. Now we will spend the next couple of days getting organized in preparation for meandering south again.

After several days of laying around in temps approaching 100 degrees, we decided to head "home" a couple of days early. We headed over the Cascades, where there is still some snow in places, though a lot has melted into the swollen rivers and streams. Got to our campsite at Lake Stevens, WA, where it will feel good to stay in one place for 2 or 3 months.

Moved on up from the farm and ranch areas into the orchards of central Washington. Found our Thousand Trails park at Quincy, Washington, overlooking the Columbia River. Nice place to relax for a week before heading toward "home".

After a night of thunderstorm activity, which left debris all over, we moved through the Blue Mountains into central Oregon, where we even got a glimpse of the top of Mt. Adams. Crossed over the Columbia River into our "home state", and found a crummy little campground in Pasco, Washington (glad we're only staying 2 nights). Panda Express for Jen's birthday dinner.

Kept moving northwest through the barren hills of the high desert. Crossed the Snake River one more time at the border, then up out of the valley to a view of snow-capped mountains. Moved into the Pacific time zone and found our small campground at Baker City, Oregon, with mountain views to the east and west, where will while away the weekend.

Took a drive out through the countryside, passing through beautiful farmland in the Snake River valley. Climbed out of the valley and took a gravel road, through some "dangerous" areas (they missed us), ending at the Bruneau Canyon overlook. This is a canyon, 850 feet deep, gouged out by the Bruneau River over the years ( Bullet was not impressed). We then headed for Bruneau Dunes State Park, where the tallest single-structured sand dune in North America rises to 470 feet high above small lakes in the high desert. Found a picnic area on a lake at the base of the dunes to relax and have a snack. This state park also has a couple of nice campgrounds with full hookups for a reasonable price - something to remember for next time we are in the area.

Moved northwest again, through the Sawtooths and past large farms and ranches. We crossed the Snake River twice, so I guess we are still on the side where we started. Found a nice, 3-year-old campground at Mountain Home, Idaho, to spend a couple of days.

Moved northwest, through the beautiful Monte Cristo Range, skirting the Great Salt Lake at Ogden. Found our small campground out in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by farms and ranches, at Snowville, Utah (2 gas stations, and 2 restaurants). The RV park is for sale, and is complete with its own driving range and a good collection of antique farm equipment.

Jen not feeling well (fighting a bad cold), so Frank hiked the trails at the nearby Bear River State Park, where they have captive bison and elk. The trails led along the river and surrounding wetlands. Returned for a Father's Day dinner of homemade burritos. Then took an evening stroll along Evanston's River Walk, viewing the trees in bloom and their man-made lake where the locals like to fish.

Continued west across the Red Desert, crossing the continental divide 3 times, with views of neat rock formations, including Castle Rock. Stopped at Little America for some lunch (and gift shops, of course), with the snow-capped Uinta Mountains in the distance. Stopped at a small RV park in Evanston, Wyoming for the rest of the weekend.

After 2 days of shuffling back and forth across the street between the campground and the service center, watching the storm clouds blow through, we got all fixed and back on the road. Moved northwest, through the beautiful greenery of the foothills, fighting strong gusty winds, around Elk Mountain, to our overnight stop at Rawlins, Wyoming.

Got one more look at Mike and Kathie's home from above, then we had to pull out and descend the mountain. Saw some deer on the way to the highway. Moved north past Denver, keeping those beautiful mountains in view. Stopped at an RV park in Johnstown, Colorado (just south of Loveland), across the street from where we have a morning appointment to fix the electrical system. No idea how long we will be here.

After all our white stuff disappeared, there was still snow on Pike's Peak. Since Jen is not feeling well (altitude?), we have just been hanging around this beautiful, peaceful place. Wandered around the property, finding a duck on the pond, the horses in the corral, and the old shack that their son built when he was young. Found a high spot across the way with a great view of their home with our motorhome sitting in front of the garage. Frank joined Mike on a trip to the bank, and we returned the roundabout way, with Mike pointing out landmarks along the way. What a place to live, with all this in your backyard!

Had some good thunderstorms last night - they seem louder at 9000 feet. Temps dropped into the 30's and we got some hail that stuck around and made for a winter-like scene. Made for some slick mud on the road and in their corral, and added some depth to their pond. Mike and Kathie are both working today, so we are just hanging out waiting for the rain to stop (supposed to be nice tomorrow).

Saying goodbye to our neighbors, we moved up west of Colorado Springs, up the back mountain roads, to the home of our friends Mike and Kathie Smith, who we met in Tucson a couple of winters ago. They have a nice home on 40 acres, at an elevation of about 9000 feet, with great views, including Pike's Peak in the distance. Enjoyed a nice dinner and did some catching up.

Travelled through the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, via Raton Pass (elev. 7834') at the New Mexico/Colorado border. Stopped at a viewpoint for a break - it was great to see green again. Got our first view of the Rockies poking up in the distance. Found a KOA just north of Pueblo, Colorado to spend the night.

Moved northwest, finally getting out of the Texas panhandle, where temps were forecast to be in the triple digits today. Landed at a KOA in Clayton, New Mexico, (mountain time, elev. 5050 ft.), where it is only 98. We will spend the night here before attacking Raton Pass in the morning.

Visited Palo Duro Canyon State Park, which covers a small section at the head of Palo Duro Canyon. Had great views from the rim and the floor of the canyon. We even hiked up to a small cave on the wall, where we had a nice view from inside. There were several trails, but it was much too hot to really hike. There are a couple of nice campgrounds in the canyon, which we should have looked up and used (oh well, maybe next time). Since Palo Duro Canyon is second in size only to the Grand Canyon, we decided to see if we could see more of it. Turns out there is a road across further down, crossing a wider portion of the canyon. It is all ranchland, where the cows looked at us like we were crazy. It crosses the Prairie Dog Town fork of the Red River, which is what carved out the canyon. Then we headed west of Amarillo to Cadillac Ranch, where some rich eccentric planted 10 Cadillacs in the ground back in the 70's. They are in a working crop field, and it seems to be a local activity to spray paint the cars. We did walk out to get an up close look at them. The temps are in the upper 90's, so naturally the power went out for a while this afternoon. Amazing how quickly a motorhome heats up when the a/c quits.

Moved 100 miles north, up into the panhandle, through farmland growing mostly wheat and cotton. Found our little RV park at Canyon, Texas (15 miles south of Amarillo), where we will spend the hot (upper 90's) weekend.

Headed in to see the sights of Lubbock. Started with a local park containing a prairie dog town. There are hundreds of the critters, from a big old tubby guy that kept watching us, to the playful youngsters. Then we headed downtown to the Buddy Holly museum, where they tell about his life and his 18-month professional career. As Lubbock's favorite son, he shows up in murals and statues around town.

After a fun night of bad thunderstorms (hail and tornadoes missed us), moved further northwest through mostly flat farmlands, rolling pastures with cattle and horses, sections of wind-power farms, and scattered oil fields. Found a nice little RV park just outside Lubbock, Texas for a couple of nights.

Moved northwest to a small RV park at Tye, Texas (just west of Abilene), where we will spend the night at the intersection of the Dyess Air Force Base traffic pattern, I-20, and a railroad. We have "planes, trains, and automobiles", but no internet access.

With temps in the 90s, with humidity to match, and overnight lows in the 70s, it has been a rather warm, muggy holiday weekend. The park is pretty full, and the locals seem to handle the weather OK, but we find it too uncomfortable to do much. Frank did manage to get out early one morning to walk the trail, leading through the woods and wildflowers down along the lake. Other than that, is has pretty much been sitting inside with the a/c and reading or watching movies. Looking forward to next week up by Colorado Springs with the furnace running!

Drove south to Waco to get the car serviced. Dillard and Sandra followed us down, and we tooled around Waco a little. Visited the Texas Ranger Museum, which was quite interesting. Viewed a video depicting some of their history, then wandered through the exhibits showing some items and events from Ranger history. They had a number of displays of the various weapons that Rangers have used. Had lunch at a Quizno's across the street from Baylor University, then perused a Barnes & Noble across the street from the Saturn dealer.

Moved west to our Thousand Trails park at Whitney, Texas, between Fort Worth and Waco. Met up with friends Dillard and Sandra again, getting a spot next to them. They arrived yesterday, and even had a hot lunch ready when we got here - it was great! Made an appointment to get the awning fixed (finally!) for tomorrow evening.

Attended the wedding of Sean and Heather, getting to see Shannon, Danny, and Katie as well. They had a great looking wedding party. It was great that sets of parents from both Michigan and Washington could be there, as well as some of us grandparents. A nice reception (with good food) followed, with the usual cake feeding and other shenanigans.

Moved northwest, through the Piney Woods region of northeast Texas. After one stop at a rest stop with a great view, we arrived at our small campground in the trees (may not be able to get sattelite). After Jen dropped her dress at the cleaners and made an appointment for her nails (all as prep for attending the wedding), we met our grandson and his fiance, Sean and Heather, for dinner at a great Mexican restaurant. Then back to the park to listen to the weather blowing through (the forecast is for a PERFECT day Saturday for the wedding).

Hung around camp today, doing laundry and getting a part ordered for the broken awning. Received pics of our new great-granddaughter Paisley Carrington Squire, born Sunday morning to granddaughter Samantha (7 lbs 12 oz, 20-1/2 inches). There is a movie clip available for those interested.

Moved north through the thunderstorms, finding the RV park at Escapees headquarters in Livingston, Texas. We'll be here a little over a week before heading up for the wedding.

Moved on west, past the Louisiana rice fields, stopping for brunch at Cracker Barrel in Louisiana and fuel at Flying J in Texas (fuel prices about 10 cents lower in Texas). Found a nice RV park at Beaumont, Texas to spend the weekend. It is Love Bug season down here, so had to wash the front of the RV after we got parked.

Headed down to Avery Island to tour the Tabasco factory. Learned about their history, beginning with one man experimenting with peppers somebody sent him. Now they bottle around 450,000 bottles per day. They do grow some of their peppers on the island, but most is grown in Central and South America because of the longer growing seasons. They process the peppers the same day they are picked, doing the 3-year fermentation in used barrels they buy from Jack Daniels. They mine their own salt for use in their products, as the island sits on a big salt dome. Of course, we had to visit the country store to sample products (including Tabasco ice cream) and buy stuff. Then we drove across town to tour the Konriko rice factory, the oldest operating rice factory in the country. They have been placed on the national historic register, so cannot modernize - they have been using some of the machines since the place was built in 1912. We got a great history of the area and the Cajun people, and saw how they processed the rice from receiving a truckfull to packaging the finished products. Then we drove over to Jeanerette to purchase some really fresh bread from LeJeune's Bakery, also on the national historic register. We saw about as much of the area as possible in the one day we are here.

After a couple of days of weather so wet even the turtles were seeking higher ground, we enjoyed lunch at a Greek/Lebonese restaurant with Dillard and Sandra. Then while getting ready to get on the road, we discovered that the motor on our electric awning had drowned in the deluge (dumb design), so we were delayed a day for a repair guy to get it so we could travel (will have to replace the motor later). We finally got away this morning and motored on over to a KOA at Scott, Louisiana (just west of Lafayette). Part of the drive was over a long bridge structure that took us over lakes, rivers, swamps, and other miscellaneous water bodies. After getting set up, we drove into Lafayette to visit The Cathedral of Saint John the Evangelist and the 500-year old live oak tree on the grounds. Both were amazing sights. We drove through part of the historic district, spotting several large murals on the sides of buildings. Finished up with great fish dinners at a Cajun restaurant. Our waitress even sneaked out a couple of boiled crawfish for us to try. Not bad, but I think it must be an acquired taste.

Dillard and Sandra took us on a tour of parts of Baton Rouge. We visited the new capitol, which is the tallest state capitol building. There were too many school groups to get to the observation deck on top, but we did see the senate and house chambers, and even the bullet holes where Huey Long was shot. Also visited the old capitol building, which we thought was more impressive from the outside than the new building. There were several exhibits about the history of Lousiana, and the spiral staircase was impressive under the unique stained glass skylight. We had a late lunch at a local favorite, Ralph and Kacoo's, where we enjoyed some great seafood. We stopped on the way back to pick up Dillard and Sandra's grandson Nathan, who they are entertaining for the weekend.

Drove over to Mississippi to the Silver Slipper Casino with Dillard and Sandra. It is located just over the border at the mouth of the Pearl River. Saw more destruction and ongoing restoration, including FEMA trailers still in use. Jen, of course, forgot her camera, so no pics. As new patrons of the casino, we each received half-priced buffett, free buffett, free tshirt, and $30 credit for gambling. Frank and Jen used up their $60 plus about $10 of our own, while Dillard and Sandra came away with over $50 in winnings. We were there long enough to take advantage of the all-you-can-eat buffett twice, making us all a bit uncomfortable for the ride home, but it was a fun day all around.

Drove into New Orleans, with our personal tour guides Dillard and Sandra, to tour the French Quarter. We approached from the east, giving us an idea of how much of the area has yet to be restored, though the French Quarter itself was in pretty good shape, and the architecture was pretty much what we expected. We started at the French Market, which turned out to be just a flea market. Evidently the produce part of the market is only on weekends. We stopped at the Cafe du Monde for coffee and beignets, a cross between a French pastry and an American doughnut which are quite tasty. Then we wandered around seeing the sights, including walking up and down Bourbon Street, with its interesting establishments complete with jazz, margaritas, topless and bottomless lap dances (???), and local brews. Somewhere along the way, Dillard and Frank had to take a rest while the gals checked out more shops. Then we headed for the River Walk which is a big mall along the riverfront, catching a bite of lunch in their food court. Turns out the president was in town, so there was security all over, including the Coast Guard patrolling the riverfront with their guns mounted. On the way back to the car, we passed the local Hard Rock Cafe, sporting an interesting sign at the entrance. We returned to camp via the causeway, a 24-mile long bridge across the middle of Lake Pontchartrain. It was a great day with good friends, and we all returned ready for a nap.

Went to the Abita bewery and sampled some beer. We were going to take the tour, but it was so crowded with college kids looking for free beer that we decided to wait and try it during the week. We did have lunch at their pub, which was very good. Ended up having a BBQ (deer sausage, chicken, pork chops) with Dillard and Sandy, and Sandy's brother Ronnie and his wife Bev. Good food and good friends made for a great time all around.

Stayed put today, taking a walk around the area of the park. Keep seeing crawfish mounds, though have not seen any of the actual critters. Walked around the lake and found a pair of Canadian Geese with a young family swimming around. Wandered through the woods, which are full of streams and ponds, which seem like great breeding grounds for mosquitos!

Drove west along the coast, seeing more devastation, then north of New Orleans to our Western Horizons park at Abita Springs, Louisiana. We ended up parked next to friends Dillard and Sandra, who are from this area, and who we met in Indiana and saw Niagara Falls with. Enjoyed a nice supper together and got caught up.

Finally got Jen out today and we took another drive along the coast, seeing more storm damage and rebuilding. They have even had artists making carved figures out of stumps of oak trees broken off in the storm. We also saw the money places that have been built since the storm, like the new Hard Rock Cafe Casino and Hotel, just across the street from the remains of a little BBQ place. Stopped on the way back at a recommended place to try a Po-Boy sandwich (dressed and pressed) - Jen had crabmeat and Frank had shrimp. They were quite tasty, we may have to go back. Meanwhile, the weather has changed, from warm and humid to cool and dry (approaching freezing tonight!). What an interesting climate!

Jen still under the weather, so Frank took a short drive up the coast. Stopped by a county beache and took a walk out on one of the fishing piers, where there were a couple of fishermen and the usual group of pelicans. Also saw quite a bit of storm damage, with lots of reconstruction going on. Found the only U.S. lighthouse situated in the middle of a 4-lane highway.

After spending a week sitting around in the beautiful Escapees park (because someone was still feeling poorly!), we moved on west. Stopped at a nice RV park in Biloxi, Mississippi (Biloxi is still being largely reconstructed). Hopefully we will get to see some of the area.

Found it difficult to get much sleep last night, as our weather radio kept waking us with severe thunderstorm warnings. Fortunately, the worst of it passed north of us and we just got regular thunderstorms. We did not have much wind and only about 5 inches of rain, while Mobile got over 8 inches. We are just left with flood warnings today.

After several days sitting around resting Jen's back and Frank's knee (we are falling apart!), we got on the road again and finally got out of Florida. Found our Escapees campground at Summerdale, AL, across the bay from Mobile.

Now that the weather cleared, we see that the campground is on a lake and spring is starting to bloom. Drove in to DeFuniak Springs to see what is there (not much) and spent some time in an old mercantile, perusing all the antique items, and got out for under $20!

Moved further west and up off the coast to an RV park at De Funiak Springs, FL. Had great weather for a nice drive along the coast, then got to the park just in time to set up in a downpour. Only the essentials got done - the rest can wait for tomorrow's sunshine. We are now on CENTRAL TIME.

Just been sitting around, watching the birds from inside on stormy days and from outside on the nice days. We are certainly getting lazy here! Drove up to a Flying J on the outskirts of Tallahassee to meet Earl and Lucille, our friends from Upton, Maine. They are overnighting there on their way from Tucson to Gainesville for the races, then on to the Tampa area. They plan to remain in Florida until the six feet of snow at home in Maine goes away, probably June. It was good to visit with them - we hadn't seen them since we stayed at their place last summer.

When the weather settled down yesterday, the pelicans showed up to feed. Then Jen got up at her usual early hour this morning, and managed to catch a great sunrise. Visited St. George Island, including the state park. Since we had Bullet along, we were not able to use the state park beaches, but had some lunch at one of their canoe launch points with a view of the inner waterway. Even saw an American Oystercatcher (too far away for our own photo).

Awoke to the incoming storm front, with lots of wind and rain and a bit of hail. At high tide, with the storm surge, our little beach where the birds play disappeared under water. Had severe thunderstorm warnings and a tornado watch, but the bad stuff all stayed north of us.

Moved further up the coast to a little RV park on the gulf, where we are parked right at the water, with a great view out the windshield.

Jen acquired a migraine, so Frank took off to the east side of the river to check out that portion of the wildlife refuge. Looked about the same, but did get to see an otter feeding in the roadside ditch. It must have gotten its fill, because it took off down the road. Also spotted a crocodile in one of the ponds along the road. Went as far south as possible, ending up at Cedar Key, a small community on the gulf with shops and restaurants along the waterfront.

Drove down to the little town of Suwannee at the mouth of the Suwannee River. Most homes seem to be built on stilts, and some even have garages for their boats. Took a drive through the west side of the Lower Suwannee National Wildlife Refuge, where we did not see much wildlife other than some hawks chasing each other through the trees. We did see some interesting landscape, including swampland, pine forest, and grassy wetlands. We did finally get out to Shired Island and found the Gulf of Mexico.

Moved another 100 miles north, to a small RV park on the Suwannee River at Old Town, FL. Nice peaceful setting, being about 10 miles from any civilization, no cell service, and tentative internet connection.

Drove over to Honeymoon Island State Park and spent a couple of hours on their nature trails. Saw quite a few nesting osprey, lots of little lizards, a tortoise and even a pair of bald eagles. Kept looking for an armadillo, but never saw one. Then, of course, found a beach and relaxed for a while before heading back.

Tried out another beach, which was not as nice as yesterdays, being right on the boat lanes. We did bask for a while, even spying some dolphins playing, until the bugs and crowd got to us.

After a couple of cool days, when some of us tend to sleep in, it warmed up again and we headed to nearby Green Key Beach to spend a few hours relaxing, wading in some really shallow gulf water, and making our reservations for next winter in Tucson.

Picked a nice rainy day to move further north (away from the extreme weather) to an RV park in Port Richey, Fl, a bit north of Tampa. They say it will clear up and be nice by the weekend, so I guess we timed it pretty well.

After a few days of clouds, rain, and Jen not feeling well, we got out and drove up by Sarasota to check out their beaches. Found several, and did some walking and wading. The water was warm enough that Jen even got her feet wet while shelling. Came back to BBQ sausages and blew up a spaghetti squash in the microwave (still tasted OK).

Moved about 100 miles north to a nice RV park in Nokomis, FL (just outside Venice). Will be just a short drive to several beaches - hopefully at least one will allow Bullet to join us.

Frank joined Peter, Bill, and Steve at the crack of dawn to do some fishing from a dock on Marco Island. Everyone caught at least one fish, even Frank (I was sure it was bigger!). Only one was a keeper (barely), but a good time was had by all. Peter and Marlene showed us a used book place, where we stocked up, then enjoyed a late lunch at the local Olive Garden.

Spent a few hours relaxing at the Naples beach with Peter and Marlene, watching the wildlife (people and birds), wading, finding shells, and even napping. Walked out the long pier where the fishermen were not having much luck, though the birds are always hopeful. Stopped off at the local Irish Pub for a great lunch before heading back.

Peter and Marlene showed us around Marco Island, which was built up from the swampland by filling in for building homes. Now it looks to be sections of land, criscrossed by canals. Most homes seem to be on water of some kind. Parts of it remind us of Hawaii, with hotels and condos on the beach. There are a couple of nice public beaches, and Jen even found a friendly pelican at one place. We enjoyed a great lunch at a place on the water, with a view of an abandoned sailboat stuck in the sand (they say it has been there a couple of years!). We even had a pod of dolphins swim by while we were eating. On the way back, we stopped by the marina, where the pelicans know when the fishing charters return and start cleaning their catch. Finished the day with happy hour back at the park, complete with free beer and wine, energetic Superbowl discussions, and a little Karaoke.

Spent most of the day at the large flea market in Fort Meyers with Peter and Marlene. Managed to escape with only about $50 worth of "fleas".

Moved west to the other side of Florida, finding the KOA campground between Naples and Marco Island. Peter and Marlene are wintering here, and we had a nice visit with them (while drinking their beer and wine), getting ideas about what to see and do in the area.