Leaving Connecticut, we drove all day
in the rain on super-highways – yuk; I also missed the
tunnel-bridge route to Virginia Beach and ended up in the Washington
DC dinner-time gridlock
. Although we stayed in Obama's town at a
suburban Sheraton which was relatively cheap with a great bed, he was
too busy to entertain us that night. Up at 06:00 to fight DC traffic
around the outer-loop while heading for Virginia Beach to see Cindy's
nephew Nick, a Navy Seal, which didn't click; so we continued heading
south along beautiful coastline. Stopped at a great Weeping Radish
brewery pub to pickup some local suds; their Black Radish dark lager
is rated in the world top fifty. The day ended at a private
campground by the ocean on the Cape Hatteras National Seashore; a
fantastic surf with a great soundtrack for a peaceful sleep.
Had a short drive to Flanders Beach in
the Croatan National Forest where for $6, using “my” Golden Age
pass, we camped next to Pamlico Sound; first time ever that I found a
National Forest with showers :)).
Another short day that was extended by
a couple hours due to a road closure (I was hunting for a scenic
byway). We eventually ended up at Myrtle Beach State Park (SP); this
amazing park is actually in the city with beautifully treed campsites
along with a dog-friendly beach
. Watched the Greenbay Packer game
that Cindy's Mom and two siblings attended (they trounced Dallas) on
Slider's TV (thanks Moyra & Dave). Before the game we found a
seafood place where I had “she crab soup” followed by Soft-shell
crab – yummy and I have never eaten either of these treats before.
On the road early for a long drive to
bypass Georgia (one of my least loved states from a trooper point of
view and they were out in force with their radar guns blaring)
heading for St Augustine and staying on back roads most of the way.
Because I veered towards the Jacksonville Beaches at rush hour, we
ended up getting to the St Augustine SP too late for camping so we
had to sleep in a “Comfort Inn” instead.
Off again early the next day after a
coffee on the beach, we meandered further down the coast stopping a
couple of times for Bogie breaks before erecting Slider in Tomoka SP
for a couple of nights. Ate steak & mushrooms cooked over a fire
the first night (with Jiffy-pop for dessert) and caught six Blue
Crabs for hordorves the next night – delicious
. Also got to see my
first ever Gopher Tortoise.
After a quick provision run, we
encamped at Alexander Springs in the Ocala National Forest; these
springs are a constant seventy-two degrees Fahrenheit. This National
Forest is one of my favourite with beautiful trees, trails and lots
of wildlife. A great one night stay.
Spent the weekend in Tampa with Cindy`s
daughter Amanda and her husband Danny. Helped them launch their newly
acquired sailboat, the Second Wind, and get it moored. Gators got
creamed which was a shame but large pizza and a pitcher of Landshark
for $10 was a great deal at a local walk to bar.
Moved to Collier-Seminole SP for two
relaxing nights; caught more Blue Crabs for lunch. Moved to
Mitchell`s Landing for our last couple of days before moving into the
Everglades. Stopped in Everglade City for our customary purchase of
Stone Crab claws for the evening meal; Local crabbers are allowed to
take one claw from a Stone Crab which they then regrow in fairly
short time frames
.
Stay tuned for more adventures from the
deep south as winter progresses :)))
Tidbits:
- Electronic road sign: Fall is here;
don't veer for deer!
- Meaning of “Road Closed Ahead. Next
Left.” means the road on the left is closed!
- Ormand Beach: Birthplace of Speed.
- Roanoak Island: Birth of first
English child in North America.
- Shelby Cobra speedometer rotates
counter clockwise to two-hundred mph.
- Church sign: Adam blamed Eve; Eve
blamed snake; Snake didn't have a leg to stand on.
- Living in a trailer makes one feel at
home down here; at least fifty percent of the south lives that way.
- Drivers on this trip sure don't know
how to merge onto, or off, multi-lane highways.
Mitchell's Landing Big Cypress
Friday, November 19, 2010
Mitchell's Landing, Florida, United States
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2025-02-11