Up the West Coast

After leaving the Flamingo campground in the Everglades, we crossed south Florida on Highway 41 (the Tamiami Trail). This road through the Everglades and the Big Cypress Swamp runs parallel to a canal. The shore of the canal opposite the highway is apparently a favored resting spot for alligators. We saw dozens, probably hundreds, of these big leathery reptiles - five feet and longer - sunning themselves and probably waiting for lunch to pass by. As I kept the RV going in a straight line, Tracey gawked at the gators.

We spent the night at a campground near Naples and did some overdue laundry and made use of the swimming pool. Then we moved on up Florida's west coast to Sanibel Island. You get to Sanibel by crossing the San Carlos Bay over a high bridge and a causeway from Fort Myers. Once you're on the island, you realize right away that you've arrived at the essence of laid-back. Drive up Periwinkle Way, the main street, and restaurants and cafes call out with names like The Island Cow, Lazy Flamingo, The Bubble Room, Sweet Melissa's, and Red Fish Blue Fish. There's a casual, down-home, uncomplicated feel about the place.




Sanibel Island is probably best known for the J.N. "Ding" Darling National Wildlife Refuge. According to the US Fish and Wildlife Service website, the refuge is part of the largest undeveloped mangrove ecosystem in the United States. It is world famous for its spectacular migratory bird populations. We spent part of a morning driving through the refuge, stopping at various spots to observe the birds in their watery habitats.




We stayed at Periwinkle Park, a place even more down-home than the rest of Sanibel. Apparently the only RV park on the island, it's laced with gravel lanes and has it's own sanctuary of exotic birds and a duck pond. We really enjoyed our stay at Periwinkle Park and would gladly go back.

Sanibel is full of great bike trails and there's much to see. While riding on a path adjacent to Periwinkle Way one day, my rear tire went flat. As I considered my options, I looked up to see a sign that read "Billy's Bike Shop." The nice folks at Billy's had me back on the road with a new inner tube in about ten minutes.

If seashells are your thing, Sanibel is the place to be. With over 400 species of shells, Sanibel beaches are considered the best shelling beaches in North America. Because the island runs east to west rather than north/south, its beaches easily capture shells carried by the currents coming up the Florida coast.

Looking for shells ...


Sanibel Lighthouse ...

Everglades

Flamingo Campground, January 10, 11


The Flamingo Campground lies at the southern tip of mainland Florida. It's a fairly remote place at the end of a lonely, 38-mile road through the Everglades. It's one of those locations where electronic communications cease. No cell phone calls, no internet, no TV. It's a place of peaceful serenity.

This serenity theme seems to be following us around - or we're following it. On earlier visits to the Everglades we zipped through swamps in air boats and watched people wrestle alligators. That's not on the agenda these days. Maybe it's our "demographic" (um, age) that has put us on a quest for quiet places where not a lot is going on. That's certainly the case out here at Flamingo where you wake up in the mornings to an utter stillness that can be disarming.

The campground is flat and grassy with lots of mature trees. Lying on the Bay of Florida (between the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico), it's the southernmost campground on the US mainland. We had been warned that there might be lots of bugs here, but that wasn't the case. The weather was excellent except for a brief afternoon storm. We rode the bike trails and looked at the sky full of stars at night.

Daybreak Wednesday ...

Sunset Wednesday ...

The tent area near the water ...

We were parked next to a sculptor from Washington state. He's on a tour of the US exhibiting his artwork. The sculptures are bolted to the trailer lest they dance off on the highway.

Morikami Japanese Gardens

Delray Beach, January 10 - After leaving John Prince Park last Tuesday, we spent the morning at the Morikami Japanese Gardens in Delray Beach. Here on the former farm of George Morikama, who originally came from Japan, six separate gardens have been created representing different eras of Japanese horticultural history. The gardens are interconnected by trails and bridges and are laced with ponds. To move along the paths among the exotic plants and settings is to remove yourself from the hectic nature of daily life and settle into peaceful serenity.

We found it interesting that there had been a Japanese colony in nearby Boca Raton in the early 1900s. In 1903, Jo Sakai, a resident of Miyazu, Japan who had just graduated from New York University, founded a small agricultural colony here in south Florida and recruted Japanese countrymen to join the effort. The project thrived for only a few years and most of the residents returned to Japan. By the 1970s, the only remaining Yamato Colony member still living in the area was George Morikama. He donated his Delray Beach farm to Palm Beach County to be preserved as a park and to honor the memory of the Yamato Colony. The gardens and accompanying Japanese museum were constructed after his death in 1976.

John Prince Park

LAKE WORTH, January 7, 8, 9 - On Saturday, we pulled into John Prince Park, an Eden-like oasis set in the middle of suburbia in Lake Worth, near West Palm Beach. We had been here two years ago and were amazed at this peaceful 700-plus acre refuge. About fifty acres are devoted to the RV park, and the rest is like one big garden. A bonus is that the park lies along the shores of Lake Osborne, and our campsite backs right on to the lake. Here's the view out our back window ...



Sunrises Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday ...



There's a paved path around the lake for walking, bike riding, and bird watching. We biked around the lake for about nine miles and took pictures of the many different birds. We plan to learn their names, but right now it's limited to "ones with long beaks," "long-legged ones," "ducks," etc. ...








Our feathered friends ...







This couple apparently resides at our campsite. They've been padding around, probably looking for a handout. We named them Herbert and Maude.



The stay at John Prince Park has been great but it's time to move on. This morning we head south to the Everglades.

Loggerhead Marinelife Center

Before leaving Juno Beach, we stopped by the Loggerhead Marinelife Center, a sanctuary for injured sea turtles. The facility takes in turtles that have been harmed by boat propellers, fishing lines and nets, shark attacks, and other means. There is an on-site veterinary hospital that attends to the turtles' injuries and outdoor tanks where they can recuperate. The center also provides educational programs for children and adults which stress the need for conservation and protection for the turtles as their habitat is gradually taken away by development. It is staffed largely by volunteers who all are enthusiastic about the mission of the center.




This is "Kahuna" peering through the window in his recovery tank. The sign below explains what they think happened to him and what they have done to help him.




The "Adopt Me Today!" slogan is really an encouragement to donate to the center. No, you can't take one of these big boys home with you.

It's interesting that all of the dozens of turtles currently at the center have been named. We asked about this and were told that the staff names each turtle as it arrives and that they do not re-use names. It certainly helps to create a personal connection to each individual turtle.

Most of the turtles are released back into the sea once their injuries have healed. But some of the injuries are so severe that the turtles must live out the rest of their lives at the center where they are sure to receive excellent care.

Florida Sampler

When we planned to travel to Florida, we decided to sample various parts of it over a few weeks. We'd make mental notes for future travels. First and foremost was to be in warm weather. It's a safe bet that you have to be about halfway down the Florida peninsula to be warm, and there's no guarantee even then. Our plan is to kind of circumnavigate the state - down the east coast and up the west.

JUNO BEACH - Yesterday we arrived at our first nearly summerlike destination, right on the Atlantic Ocean at Juno Beach. Mid-70s and bright sunshine. We're staying at an RV resort called Juno Beach Walk. It's the kind of tightly-packed sort of place we'd normally avoid if it weren't for its pristine aura (I'm thinking they must vacuum the streets), lush tropical landscaping, heated swimming pool, hot tub, and easy walk to the beach. And the people here are so nice--they have included us in everything and talk to us like we're old friends. We could easily see ourselves settling into a place like this for several weeks.





The ocean is a gorgeous blue here ...




Someone was made rudely aware of that wave about a half second later ...



Tomorrow we push on southward for some more sampling.

Southbound

The newly-annointed Co-Pilot sits in her favorite spot in the RV and peruses gifts from her wonderful co-workers at Nutricia North America. The book is full of pictures of Tracey and her workmates and is inscribed with personal notes and rememberances.

We pulled out of our driveway in Derwood, Maryland, late in the afternoon of January 1. Even though it was a later start than we'd envisioned, we still met our goal of beginning this new chapter on the first day of the new year.

We also left just as a stinging cold front was descending over the East Coast. It followed us south, although we escaped the bitter temperatures that numbed our home state.

Along the way, we stopped in Richmond to visit with my Aunt Mildred, who celebrated her 102nd birthday in December. She's a remarkable woman in many ways, not the least of which is the ability to clearly remember incidents that took place in Richmond during World War I, such as the practice parades of militia troops up and down Stonewall Ave. in front of her childhood home. She remembers many of the significant events of the 20th century first hand.



As we made our way south, we overnighted at spots in Virginia, South Carolina, and Georgia before crossing the Florida state line yesterday afternoon. After downing cups of the obligatory free--and delicious--orange juice at the Florida welcome center, we made our way to Blue Springs State Park in Orange City, just northeast of Orlando. We'd been here before and we wanted to return to check out the manatees that winter in the relatively warm waters of the spring. These huge acquatic mammals live during warmer weather in the nearby St. John's River, a wide body of fresh water. But they can't tolerate temperatures below sixty degrees. So each November they make their way up a side stream to Blue Spring where the water remains a steady 72 degrees year round. We like seeing these majestic, slow moving animals glide through the clear water, many of them in family groupings.





We also enjoy the tropical vegetation that surrounds the spring. The sunny 70-ish weather didn't hurt, either, as we made our way along the boardwalk that skirts the spring and winds through the woods.




The Co-Pilot is still coming to grips with not having the benefit of a regularly- scheduled day ...

Tracey Retires!!

After almost 30 years at the National Geographic Society and 3 1/2 more years at Nutricia North America, Tracey has finally retired as of Friday, December 30! What a weekend we've had! Retirement on Friday, her birthday and New Year's Eve yesterday, and today we leave on a month-long trip to Florida in the RV. What a way to start the New Year!

Tracey says the words to the song "Feelin' Good" sum up her mood. Here is Nina Simone's great version.

FEELIN' GOOD

Birds flying high you know how I feel
Sun in the sky you know how I feel
Breeze driftin' on by you know how I feel

It's a new dawn
It's a new day
It's a new life
For me
And I'm feeling good

Fish in the sea you know how I feel
River running free you know how I feel
Blossom on the tree you know how I feel

(refrain)

Dragonfly out in the sun you know what I mean, don't you know
Butterflies all havin' fun you know what I mean
Sleep in peace when day is done
That's what I mean

And this old world is a new world
And a bold world
For me

Stars when you shine you know how I feel
Scent of the pine you know how I feel
Oh freedom is mine
And I know how I feel

It's a new dawn
It's a new day
It's a new life
For me
And I'm feeling good

Tracey loved her time at Nutricia, especially because of the great folks who work there. She was so moved by the wonderful way they showed their appreciation--over several days it seemed--and for the way they celebrated her retirement. It was a grand launch into this new chapter!

Although she's been with me on any number of fairly short trips in the RV, now she's free to join me on lengthy journeys free of itineraries and schedules. We're both looking forward to that.

So stay tuned to our upcoming Florida adventures. We'll be back home in a month or so in order to be present for the birth of our second grandson. And after that? We'll just have to see!

Travels in 2011

This past year has been primarily about our first grandchild, Sebastian. It has been a delight to get to know this new little person who didn't even exist much more than a year ago. Here he is yakking at a cell phone with his usual jibber-jabber, although he probably has no idea why people hold these things to their heads while talking.

But that doesn't mean we haven't taken trips in the RV as well. This year's road trips have been fairly close to home in Maryland and Virginia. Nonetheless, they have been great fun and have provided relaxing getaways.

VIRGINIA BEACH
Back in April, with the early warmth of spring, we headed to Virginia Beach. We camped for a week at First Landing State Park, tucked into vegetation close to the water at the confluence of the Chesapeake Bay and the Atlantic Ocean. Over the dunes, we could see the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel in the distance stretching out across the mouth of the Bay.

We spent the week hiking and biking the park's trails through the forest. At the beach, we biked along the boardwalk and watched the few swimmers and surfers hardy enough to brave the still-nippy water. Virginia Beach is home to the spectacular Virginia Aquarium and the headquarters of the Edgar Cayce Foundation, both of which we enjoyed visiting.

On our last day, we went into nearby Norfolk to watch a NATO parade featuring floats from the NATO member countries. The trip was capped off by a visit to the Norfolk Botanical Gardens which were in full bloom.

OCEAN CITY
Just a few weeks later, we spent a weekend at the Castaways Resort near Ocean City, Maryland. What a great place! Although our preference is to stay in more rustic state and national parks, we had fun both Friday and Saturday nights listening to live music at the tiki bar and eating free pancakes at the Saturday morning breakfast. The Castaways has a free shuttle that takes campers into nearby Ocean City, about twenty minutes away. We spent part of Saturday strolling the boardwalk and having lunch.

ROCKY GAP
We took several trips to state parks in western Maryland, including the beautiful Rocky Gap State Park near the town of Flintstone. This park lies beside a jewel of a lake surrounded by low mountains. Aside from having a very nice campground, the park has a lodge, restaurant, and golf course.





On our last trip to Rocky Gap, we met up with Tracey's sister Tina and her husband John. They were in their new travel trailer. After arriving on a Thursday night, we woke up on Friday to predictions of up to 12 inches of snow over the next few hours. Nothing of the sort had been predicted up to that point.
We reluctantly packed up and headed for home - Tina and John to Pennsylvania and us to Derwood. On the way home, however, Tracey and I realized that we weren't quite ready to go back home. So we pulled off at Little Bennett Park not far from our home and spent the snowy weekend snug inside the RV reading and watching the trees outside slowly turn fluffy white. It was a nice and cozy time, and we were glad we didn't have to make the two-hour drive back from western Maryland on the snowy highways. But we missed being able to spend the weekend with Tina and John.




FORT FREDERICK
The last trip of the season was again to western Maryland where we camped at Fort Frederick State Park. Our campsite was right on the Potomac River, which we could see out our back windows.


Fort Frederick, a huge stone fort, was built in 1756 to protect the Maryland frontier during the French and Indian War. During the American Revolution it served as a prison for British soldiers. After that, the fort was sold into private hands and for several generations it and the surrounding lands were owned and farmed by the Williams family. Patriarch Nathan Williams was the son of a slave who had bought freedom for himself, his wife, and his four children in 1826. In 1860 Nathan and his wife bought the tract containing the fort for $7,000. When the Civil War erupted, the the 1st Maryland Infantry (U.S.) garrisoned the fort in order to protect the nearby C&O Canal. The Williams family fed the soldiers and sold produce to them as well as to Confederate soldiers across the Potomac River. After the war, the Williams family built animal pens and planted grapevines, vegetables, and a small orchard inside the fort. They also cultivated the fields outside the fort and bought more land as they prospered. In 1911, the Williams family sold the land and the fort, and in 1922 it was acquired by the state of Maryland to create the first Maryland state park.





As it happened, there was a reenactment of a Civil War battle taking place when we were there, part of an ongoing celebration of the 150th anniversary of the war. It was interesting to see how an actual skirmish against Confederate raiders had unfolded right there at Fort Frederick on Christmas Day in 1861.