Well, I've taken a few days off from the blog, was relaxing and having fun!! Still hate writing, but know that I will appreciate these notes at some point since the details of the trip are blurring within a couple days. But I have loved this KOA Campground in St Pete, only prob is that we are not within walking distance of a beach. Lynn arrived about 1:15am and I was out in the dark with a flashlight to guide her to our campsite. The first day (Tuesday) we relaxed in front of our waterfront view til lunch time, then drove to Fort Desoto State Park (13 miles from the KOA), mainly for the dog beach, but also to see the park - it's a huge facility, miles long on the end of this land mass. On our visit, the waves were quite brisk and rough due to the windy day, so it felt cool despite 78 degrees. It was a great beach for the dogs - they ran free and actually got some exercise, and we enjoyed walking a long stretch of the beach. We drove around the park and saw some other gorgeous, long, unpopulated beaches - it was a weekday. The campground was a long distance, maybe 5 miles or more from the beaches, but were around some intracoastal waterways. The remains of the fort were less preserved than the others I saw throughout Florida, but the land and beaches were very impressive. We explored some of our campground area on the way home, so did a quick dinner of Costco frozen Mahi on the Big Green Egg, along with grilled asparagus and potatoes. Lynn had to ask what I do after dinner, since it was 7:30pm and we were still sitting outside - I had to explain this is when I usually do the blog, or hike to the showers, or crawl into my cozy bed with Sara and a good book. We were also spoiled with cable TV, so we could sit outside watching the cooking reality shows. That night we had a big thunderstorm hit at 12:13 am (so Lynn says) - I vaguely remember her complaining that water was coming in the vents so I got up and closed the vents, and was back asleep in minutes. Apparently, she was out on the sofa with all 3 dogs trying to sit on her due to the thunder and lightening! I had a great night's sleep, storms always make me sleep better!! Wednesday morning seemed like a great time to make gingerbread waffles outside at the picnic table - can't get enough of this view!! In the afternoon, we were testing Sara's separation anxiety by leaving her in the RV with the other dogs, hoping this would calm her. We rented a kayak from the campground, and proceeded to spin circles in the bayou. It was first time I had used a 2 man kayak, and Lynn was freaked by approaching the mangrove trees (maybe I shouldn't have mentioned the alligators and snakes that could hang from trees), but we seemed to have much difficulty traveling straight for more than a few strokes. We were just relieved to be able to get back to the dock at the end of our time and did enjoy the peace of the water. I did have to hear Sara barking from the RV when we passed our campsite - fortunately, we had some dog friendly neighbors who had told us not to worry, they loved dogs, even barking ones! When we got back, we needed to shop for some dinner, so loaded all dogs in the car for a trip to the meat market - where we got a special treat of rib eye steaks for the BGE. Sara was perfectly content to stay in the car while we shopped, as long as she could see me in the store. So, another great dinner from the BGE, followed by showers and bed by 10pm. And I might add, these are the most pristine, beautifully tiled showers I've ever seen in a campground! The next day, Thursday, we had to pull up stakes, and move 4 sites down, which gave us a slightly different view of the water - trees weren't as dense, and we now had a full moon to give great reflections off the water. But moving took an hour out of our busy day when we were usually sitting around relaxing! This afternoon, we finally got onto the bike trail - after building a barricade to keep Sara from seeing out the front window, hoping to keep her from barking. We turned south on the Pinellas Trail, which is a 44 mile rail/trail, flat and smooth, except for the many overpasses that make you pedal hard to get high over water and major roads - but it was a wonderful trail and it felt good to get on my new bike (but must invest in a new seat!!!). We rode about 13 miles and finished with a pretty sunset over the water. Returning from the ride, Sara was NOT barking, and had not broken through the barricade, but was panting like she had done the ride - maybe a successful technique for leaving her! We then took a drive to Publix, but stopped to explore the St Pete VA Medical Center grounds across the street from our campground - the buildings are Spanish architecture with lots of tile accents and rounded arches. They are located right on the bay and have lakes on the property - really a stunning, beautiful facility! We found some great lamb steaks for dinner and grilled our last dinner in some chilly weather. Seems a cold front is blowing in, and I required a sweatshirt and some wine to tolerate the chill. Overall, we didn't get to explore as much as I would have liked, but I thoroughly enjoyed our immediate surroundings. The closest beach was Madeira beach, about 3 miles away. We also got to peek into the cabins on the property - basic ones are just sleeping quarters with NO water or kitchen (we heard $99/nt in this high season), the deluxe cabins looked beautiful with nice porches and views but don't know their price, and of course, I was paying $97/nt for the waterfront, full hookup site - which was a bargain compared to our previous campsites! I would definitely come here again, but maybe not in high season.