Keys to the Fort

Wait! Is that the sound of palm trees swaying? No, it’s the sound of steel drums playing.  Some call it Margaritaville, forever made famous by the Jimmy Buffet song, and now the obligatory theme song for the Florida Keys.  But for me - give me that Key Lime Pie.  Yum! More please! Yup, we headed down south, way down to the southernmost tip of the continental US.   Nothing beats that warm and brilliant turquoise colored ocean of the Florida Keys.  It always takes my breath away.

Did someone say it's margarita time!

We spent the next week exploring the beaches and enjoying the tropical breezes which happened to be bit on the blustery side the week we were visiting.  But heck it kept the state bird, known more commonly as the mosquito at bay.   We stayed at a smaller RV park in Marathon which is just about smack dab in the middle of the Keys.  We checked out some of the state parks and if money is consideration that is the way to go but they are very popular and hard to get into without plenty of advance booking even in the hot summer months.  One day we visited John PenneKamp Coral Reef State Park and took a snorkeling trip to the reef.  Very reasonably priced and very enjoyable!  I got to see lots of pretty fishies swimming around none which I knew the name of except for the slightly scary barracuda.  Great day in the water!  Another day we visited Key West, that drunken tourist trap of town but still so much fun just the same! 

Just one of the many beaches

We headed back north to Titusville and took a few days to shut down the site before really hitting the road. Bye Bye TGO.  First stop was the Florida\Georgia border.  We decided to check out Fort Clinch State Park and the beaches of Fernandina and Amelia Island.   Very nice area!  The park itself is big with two campgrounds ( water and electric only).  One on the river side and one on the ocean side, both have their merits.   The riverside sites are bigger and shadier which in the heat of early summer made a big difference in keeping the RV cool and comfy.   The ocean side has the beach but is much more exposed.  The  park roads are lined with moss covered oak trees perfect  for a pleasant bike ride or two.  Fort Clinch is within walking distance from the riverside campground so don't forget to visit it for a piece of American history.

Downtown Fernandina Beach

Sunset on the Amelia River

 There is a fun little historical town area nearby with plenty of restaurants and stores.   We had a  fun time exploring the area and enjoying the sunsets.  Jack said to me he has driven by this area quite bit over the years but never stopped, it turned out to be a hidden gem.  

TGO Time

Trail near TGO

So where have I been exactly?  And why haven’t I been blogging?  We spent the last three months in our winter home in Titusville.  Life at The Great Outdoors (TGO) carried on like we never left.  We spruced up the lot and put down new stone pavers and did some landscaping.  It looks very spiffy.   We enjoyed getting there later in the season and as the time went on the place became more of a ghost town as the snowbirds went home.  It was a rough long winter this year for most of the country.   We did sympathize and tried not to rub in the warm weather too much.  

We took a side trip down to Naples again this season and hooked up with family.   We lucked out and were able to get into Collier-Seminole State Park.   Very nice and much more reasonable then the private RV parks down that way.   One night we had a campfire and cookout with the family.  It was good to spend time with my sister Carol, her husband Joe, my brother Paul, and his wife Bonnie.  I call Naples little Chicago as most of the folks down there are from that part of the country escaping the frozen Midwest. Other than the palm trees and warm weather you could swear you are in Chicago by the way everyone talks.

Naples at night

I also  took a solo trip to the homestead in New Mexico.  I checked on the house and baby sat kitty Carlito for Jack’s daughter Jennifer.   I spent some quality time with my daughter Emily, meeting friends,  and eating out a lot.  Emily and husband JR took  me for a hike in the Sandia Mountains for an early Mother’s Day.  My favorite thing to do!   I visited with my brother Bob and his wife Pat.  And the latest addition to the family by way of niece Maggie - baby Bob.  He's a cutie! It was good trip home!  Hope I closed up the house and did not forget to turn off the stove!

Mama owl standing guard

TGO had a busy spring with a variety of wildlife to be seen. We had a pair of baby owls that were the talk of the park.  Jack rescued a baby doe that had gotten trapped in some vines. One morning I saw a bobcat, two young armadillos playing, and a gator all before I had my morning coffee!  Plus there are always a variety of birds to be seen including egrets, osprey, cranes, anhinga, blue herons, turkeys, woodpeckers, cardinals, mocking birds and the ever present vultures.   And don’t forget our resident gator and the guest appearance by his bigger brother Mr. Big Stuff.   We stayed long enough in the year to see both the bottlebrush and magnolia trees bloom on our property.  A little sad to leave but it was time to head North but first it was time to head south for a trip down to margaritaville.  

Mr. Big Stuff