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.