Blackwater River State Park

Blackwater River State Park – Fourth Location

Saturday, March 16

The drive to Blackwater was easy and uneventful. We drove along the Gulf shore almost to Pensacola before heading north. We made our usual Walmart stop for provisioning and fuel. The park and campground are very beautiful and the sites are perfect with full hookups. Our site was backed up to the river, although it was not visible through the woods. There was a nice path right behind our site that led down to the river and sandbar beach. There was a boardwalk over a swampy area to get to the beach. The Blackwater River is fairly shallow, sandy bottom with many turns and at most there are sandbars. The river was a couple of feet higher than usual due to recent rains in the area, thus the current was also swifter. However, this made downstream paddling so easy, only needed to use paddles to steer.

We took the dogs on a hike down the path and along the river trail. There were several people on the sandbars enjoying the beautiful weather. Kurt decided he would like to do a short paddle, so we found a boat ramp a mile upstream in the park and the take out downstream. I dropped him and Kody off at the boat ramp and picked them up at the take out bridge. After he got on the water, there was a state park sign indicating that no pets, alcohol or glass bottles permitted. Well, he had all three…. The FWC ranger was driving around near the take out and we had to sneak Kody across the sandbar and back to the truck. But, we were told later that they don’t strongly enforce these rules unless the offenders are really being unruly or blatant. So probably our name is on some state park rule breaker list.  I keep telling Kurt, one day they’re not going to allow us back in Florida State Parks.

We returned to the RV and decided it was time for Happy Hour! We called the local canoe outfitter and made plans to use their shuttle service the next day to take us to a put in 11 miles upstream. After a dinner of grilled pork roast, we were ready to relax in the RV. The weather was chilly and we didn’t have firewood yet, so we retreated into the RV for the rest of the evening.

Sunday, March 17

After a restful night’s sleep, we awoke and prepared our kayaks and stuff for the paddle. We had coffee and breakfast and then drove to the outfitter location. We got all the information about the river and met the shuttle driver at the take out parking lot. Paul was a very nice local guy who was born and raised in the area. He took our kayaks, gear and us in his truck/trailer to the put in about 11 miles north. The weather was supposed to be sunny and nice, but it ended up overcast and a little chilly the whole day.  However, the river was beautiful and we “floated” downstream, passing many sandbars at almost every turn. The current was pretty swift and we were able to use the rudders to do most of the steering. Kurt fished along the way, but only got one bite which got off the hook. The current probably kept most of the fish in hiding. We stopped a couple of times on sandbars to stretch our legs and have some lunch. It was an enjoyable paddle, despite the cloudy weather. The sandbars were amazing and abundant. We have never paddled a river like this before; it’s so nice to have places to stop.  There was not much wildlife on the river, just a few turtles that appeared near the end of the paddle as the sun was beginning to peek out. After about four hours, we passed the State Park shoreline and then arrived at the take out bridge. Kurt brought the truck back from the parking lot and we loaded up our kayaks and gear, then headed back to camp.

The dogs were very happy when we returned and let them out. They were alone for about 5 hours and behaved nicely. They are really getting used to their time in the RV, but I think they are taking advantage of some down time. Normally, they are worn out and ready to go to bed by 7 or 8 pm. Most of the time we make them hang out with us around the campfire, they really do like the warmth when it’s chilly out. But we let them go inside to their beds way before we are ready to go in.

We then took them for a walk along the river trail and let them run on one of the sandbar beaches. Kody ran a B-500 and released some of his pent up energy. They love playing on the beach (another park violation).  Kurt decided we needed to “collect” some firewood. We all loaded up in the truck and drove back into the State Forest and found a forest road. There, we were able to get enough firewood to last four more nights. Again, we had awesome campfires each night. After dinner, we returned to the campfire until it burned out for the night. We were tired and went to bed a little early.

Monday, March 18

We woke up a little late as we had nothing to rush for in the morning.  After coffee and breakfast, we decided to drive north into the State Forest to find out about paddling Big Juniper Creek, which is a tributary of the Blackwater River. Kurt wanted to find a put in and take out so we could do our own shuttle. Juniper Creek was different from the Blackwater, much more shallow and narrow, with a prettier tree canopy and high banks. We decided to let Kurt do this paddle and I would shuttle for him tomorrow. We found a trailhead that was supposed to run along the creek, and we set out with the dogs. It turned out not to be a nice hike, there had been a fire in the area and everything was charred and not pretty. We abandoned the hike and decided to go back to camp and hike there. At that point, I needed some down time and sit outside and read my book. Kurt went on a bike ride for awhile then decided to do a paddle out of the park. He kayaked on the Blackwater River downstream for about a 1.5 miles to look for the confluence of Juniper Creek.  He turned around to paddle back upstream to find out if it was too difficult, but found it not to be so hard.

Later we walked back down to the sandbar beach with the dogs and hiked one of the trails. After dinner we sat around the campfire and enjoyed the rest of the evening. We went to bed a little early to get some rest for tomorrow’s paddle.

Tuesday, March 19

After coffee and breakfast, we packed up Kurt’s kayak and gear for his paddle on Big Juniper Creek. We went up to the highway bridge to the put in. The boys went with us and Kurt took off in his kayak and headed downstream. The boys and I headed back to camp. We went on a little hike in the park, then back to the RV. I spent some time taking care of cleaning and re-organizing our messy stuff. After about two hours, I headed back to the take out where we had arranged to pickup Kurt. The boys were able to run around the sandbar and the river trail while we were waiting. When Kurt arrived, he was very happy with the paddle and the weather was actually perfect, sunny and warmer.

After arriving back at camp, we went on a bike ride on a rail trail in the town of Milton. It was called the Blackwater Heritage Trail, totaling 8.1 miles one way. We drove into Milton and found the main trailhead. We rode up the trail about 6 miles, then turned around. It was a nice ride and the weather was perfect. The area has a couple of military facilities, including a naval air station and helicopter training. There seemed to be a continual flying of choppers over the whole area. It was a little annoying when they flew over the campground at night, when everything was nice and quiet. Oh well, they have to learn to fly choppers somewhere!

When we were back at camp, we noticed that another RV had pulled in with two kayaks on their truck. They were walking their dog around the campground when we talked to them to see if they would be interested in kayaking with us and running our own shuttle. After we discussed the plan, we all decided we could do this the next day. We made plans to meet at 10am and take the kayaks to the 11 mile put in and leave our truck at the take out. They are a very nice couple from Ontario spending the winter down here in the south. Tim and Celina are very much outdoor people and serious kayakers. It was nice to meet another friendly couple that loves RVing and kayaking!

After dinner, Kurt, the boys and I had our usual campfire and enjoyed the evening.

Wednesday, March 20

Tim and Celina met us with their truck and we loaded up our kayaks. We first took our truck to the take out parking lot and then we all drove to the put in. We launched our kayaks and began the paddle downstream. Again, the forecast was to be sunny and nice, but it was quite the opposite. The skies were very cloudy and the temps were colder than the previous couple of days. Fortunately, we all had dressed in warm clothes. Tim and Celina had sit-in kayaks with skirts, so they had a warmer advantage. As we floated downstream, we all chatted and got to know each other better. They are very interesting people and have traveled around the world. As Canadians, they have traveled to Cuba and really love going to that island. They love RVing and being in the warm weather for the winter (who doesn’t). We stopped on a large sandbar for lunch and a rest stop. We completed the paddle in about 3.5 hours. It turned out to be a fun and enjoyable paddle, despite the cold and cloudy weather. When we got to the take out, the guys retrieved Tim’s truck from the put in and we all loaded up our kayaks and headed back to the campground.

After arriving back at the RV, the dogs were very happy to see us. We took them for another hike on the river trail and Kurt was fishing in the ponds and river. We had invited Tim and Celina to come over after dinner and enjoy the campfire with us. We all had a very nice evening, continuing to chat and get to know more about each other. We really enjoyed their company and exchanged contact information. We invited them to come to south Florida next winter and spend some time down there, and we can paddle some of the great rivers in our area. Hopefully, they will be able to work this into their trip planning next year. We talked and drank wine and beer until the fire burned out and we ran out of wood. It was a most lovely evening and we were very tired from the day’s activities.

The next day we would be heading to Florida Caverns State Park, near Marianna Florida. There is supposed to be excellent paddling on the Chipola River.

Grayton Beach State Park

Grayton Beach State Park – Third Location

Tuesday, March 12

After breaking down camp, we headed out to the Gulf Coast and Grayton Beach. We drove the coastal highway 98, which most of the road is directly on the Gulf shore. It was a lovely drive and the weather was sunny and beautiful. We stopped along the way at a Walmart in the Panama City area for provisions. Tyndall Air Force base is in this area and we were able to see how this military facility was part of the community.

After a drive of about two hours, we arrived at Grayton Beach State Park. We checked in and found our site, then setup the rig. We have a great site with a view of a lake behind us. The boys love the site, since there is no one on our patio side and they were able to roam around the area. The campground is very nice, recently upgraded with full hook-ups. The bath house is updated and has a washer and dryer. We rode our bikes over to the beach to check it out. The beach is awesome, with white sugar sand and unusual dunes. The water was very choppy and the waves were high due to the brisk winds. Dogs are not allowed on this beach, so the boys had to stay in the trailer for awhile. We continued to ride around the park and explore the area.  We went back to the trailer and continued organizing stuff inside. We prepared dinner and decided it was too cold and windy to have a campfire. We relaxed inside and watched some TV. Also, we looked at the area maps to find out where there hiking and biking trails. The highway near the park has a great bike trail off the south side of the road.  We were planning the activities for the next day.

Wednesday, March 13

We woke up to another chilly, windy morning. We decided to ride our bikes on the trails nearby. There are several miles of hiking/biking trails in the nearby state forest, Washington Point. The trails are very pretty and we rode about 5 miles before heading home. We then rode through the little village of Grayton Beach. It’s a small town of beachside residences; many of them are vacation rentals. We went down a beach entry to watch the fishing boats that launch from the beach. They have special tires for their trucks and boat trailers. It was amazing that they can launch in the powdery sand. The village has many shops and restaurants, very quaint and lovely.

After returning to the RV and having lunch, we had planned on going back east to Panama City Beach to watch a free country music concert. On our way back to camp, we had realized that it is currently spring break for students. The traffic was gridlock, even on the main highway. Wow, we just didn’t think about this time of year on the Gulf! Anyway, Kurt was determined to go to the concert, so we headed off in the truck. At about 3pm we drove to about 1.5 miles within the concert location and found a place to park in a shopping center. We then walked the remaining distance until we reached the venue. The sidewalks were packed with kids in the bathing suits and mostly drunk. It was amazing to watch the craziness going on, I guess we’re just getting old. And by the way, we were completely out of place, us old folks! Many of the kids just looked us up and down and I’m sure they were wondering what the hell WE were doing there. They were young enough to be our grandchildren.

We made it home after a long walk back to the truck. We drove back to our RV on a beach highway where we saw amazing little villages and communities that appeared to be VERY upscale. There were homes and condos as far as you could see, and they were like nothing we have ever seen before. Palm Beach or Jupiter Island has nothing on this area. The area is called South Walton Beaches and has little town after little town. It was quite obvious that this area is for those of a social status that I’ve never seen.

After arriving back at the camp, we rode our bikes over to the beach to watch sunset. Again, the pictures were amazing and the evening was beautiful. Went back to the RV and prepared dinner. Then we had another big campfire to keep us warm.  Another evening going to bed very tired.

Thursday, March 14

Today was sunny but with chilly wind. I decided it was time to work on my blog and do some housekeeping, including laundry. The campground had a washer and dryers, so it was very convenient. Kurt went bike riding on some really nice trails in Point Washington State Forest. When he returned, we had lunch then took the boys for a hike to get rid of some of their energy. As some of our food items were running low, we went to a local Walmart and Publix to get the items we needed. On the way home, Kurt took a forest road where he had found some wooded areas that had been cleared. There was an enormous amount of dead wood sitting on the ground, so we will have another big campfire tonight.

Our RV neighbors, Paul & LoAnn, are from Michigan. We have chatted with them several times and it seems we have a lot in common. They are staying down here in the Gulf area until April. They have two dogs, Kimber (golden retriever) and Oliver (king charles spaniel). Like so many others we’ve met, they are down here escaping the frigid winters up north. We enjoy chatting with them and sharing good times and stories.

Friday, March 15

We woke up to a very chilly morning, the temperature was 38 when we got up at 8:30. Chilly….but sunny. I made a nice breakfast of French toast and coffee. We then took our kayaks over to the launch inside the park, on Western Lake. We paddled around the lake, Kurt fished some and we enjoyed the sun. There was a creek we paddled up and looked at the enormous houses in one of the elite communities. Then we paddled to the west side of the lake and up a small creek, which ended at another small lake along the shores of Grayton Beach. It was a nice paddle and the day was beautiful.

We had lunch, then Kurt went biking.  I decided to go the the beach and lay on my stomach to get some tan on the back of my legs and my back. That part of my anatomy rarely gets sun, when sitting in a kayak! Paul & LoAnn were there and we chatted some more about our background and what we enjoyed about RVing. It’s a wonderful lifestyle that many in our age group our taking advantage of the freedom it offers.

Kurt returned from his bike ride soon after I returned to the RV. He made some yummy guacamole and we started Happy Hour! We then went to the beach to watch sunset, it’s always so amazing! Happy Hour at the beach at sunset, Life is Good!

We began organizing some of our stuff for our departure tomorrow. We sat around the campfire with our RV neighbors, Paul & LoAnn. It was a fun evening! I wish we had another day here, I love the beach here, would love to come back again.

Saturday, March 16

As I finish this blog post, we are preparing the rig to leave Grayton Beach. We really loved it here, it had everything; beach, biking, hiking and kayaking. We would love to come back here some day.

Off to Blackwater River State Park. This one will be a little more rural.

Ochlockonee River State Park

Ochlockonee River State Park – Second Location

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Friday, March 8

We packed and got everything ready to move to our next location, Ochlockonee River State Park, (pronounced Oak-lock-nee). We drove an easy 2.5 hours along highway 98 through rural, coastal Florida. We stopped at a Walmart in Perry to purchase food and gas.

We arrived at the park around 2pm. We found our campsite and were able to squeeze the trailer into a site that was not really an easy parking angle. We setup the site and it ended up being a very nice, private location. Our site backed up to the river, with a short path back to the river trail. The park is very nice; with a small campground, boat ramp, floating dock and kayak launch on the Ochlockonee River. We walked around most of the river front with the dogs to get our bearings. There were very nice trails for hiking or biking. The park is right at the confluence of the Ochlockonee and Sopchoppy Rivers. There are “white squirrels” resident in the park. They are not albinos, but a mutation of some early semi-white squirrels that were brought here by Spanish explorers. I took some nice pictures of some, they seemed very tame as they are protected and people are always taking pictures of them.

We met some camping neighbors, a group of kayakers that were there to do three days of kayak trails. They had planned the weekend outing with several people. They were able to give us some information on kayaking options around the area. We also met another couple in an Airstream trailer that had just left Manatee Springs and arrived just before us. They are Syd and Virginia from Boone, N. Carolina. It was nice chatting with them about our favorite places in the Smoky Mountains.

As we were beginning Happy Hour, we quickly discovered the presence of “no-see-ums”. They were relentless and we had to change to fully covered clothing and the use of powerful bug spray. After dinner, we sat around another great campfire. We spent another chilly night in the RV, with the space heaters running to keep us warm.

Saturday, March 9

After breakfast, we discussed our kayaking options. We decided to do a paddle right out of the park on the Ochlockonee River, through the salt marshes and around to the Sopchoppy River.  This was a loop paddle; where we paddled with the incoming tide, then back around against the wind (we usually paddle the hardest direction… haha). It was a good exercise paddle, but was not the exceptional river scenery we are used to. At least we got our kayaks in the water and got outside in the sunny weather.

After the paddle, we decided to hike around the park for awhile. We took the boys and we all had a great time. Kurt grilled out chicken thighs for dinner, and we also made a salad.  After dinner, Kurt made a great campfire and we enjoyed the warmth.

Sunday, March 10

We had already decided to kayak the Wakulla River today. There is a four mile run from a boat ramp put-in at a highway bridge, upstream to another take-out. Above this take out is the final part of the spring run. At the spring head is Wakulla Springs State Park, which was blocked for further paddling into the spring. The original owner had developed a resort lodge there for tourists.  He put a fence across the river below the spring head to keep out anyone who was not a guest of the lodge. He was able to win a lawsuit by citizens to retain the fence across the river. It just seems that this infringes upon the rights of the people of Florida to use navigable waters. Now, under the ownership of the State, no one can swim or paddle in the spring or spring run. Too bad, it would have been wonderful to paddle all the way up to the spring. Regardless, the river is beautiful and an easy paddle upstream and then a float downstream. It was a sunny day and with light winds. We really enjoyed this lovely river. There were loads of turtles and birds, osprey and herons on the river.

After returning to the RV, Kurt took Kody on a short paddle on a creek in the park. I took Kirby on a hike around some trails. We enjoyed the late afternoon and then prepared dinner. After an active day, we relaxed watching some TV and then went to bed exhausted.

Monday, March11

With the weather forecast for afternoon rains and evening thunderstorms, we decided to take a road trip with the boys. We drove down to the Gulf coast to another state park, Bald Point. This is a peninsula where the Ochlockonee River and Bay enters the Gulf. The park is a typical collection of Coastal marshes, pine flatwoods, and oak thickets. There are several bald eagle pairs in the park, but we never saw any of them. The beaches here are also major turtle nesting areas. Most of the coastal portions are not part of the park, but have private residences. We drove around most of the park area and checked out the beaches. We walked out to the inlet area and spoke with a local guy who was fishing from the pier. The weather was a little overcast and breezy, but still a nice day.

On our way back to the campground, we stopped at a local seafood restaurant and had a wonderful lunch. It was now sunny and we sat outside on the deck and munched on a dozen fresh raw oysters and shared a plate of shrimp and cheesy grits.  Yum, it was all so good. We had not eaten raw oysters in years, but this area is known for the “Apalachicola oysters”, some of the best in the Gulf of Mexico.

We headed back to the campground and on our way home, we noticed a sign for a Sopchoppy City Park that has RV camping. We drove into the park, which was right on the Sopchoppy River. There were at least 20 RV sites, with water and electric hook-ups. The rates are $15 per night. Wow, if we ever come through here again, we might just stay at this campground. We will keep this on our list.

After returning to camp, Kurt decided to go on a short kayak paddle around the Ochlockonee River. He went out just as the weather began to get rainy and chilly. He still enjoyed a short paddle on the river. We began getting some things put away for our departure tomorrow and the expected rain this evening. I took care of some housekeeping and organizing stuff in the RV. We then holed up inside the RV for the evening as the rain began. After dinner, we relaxed inside and watched some TV. We slept well with the sounds of rain drops hitting the roof.

Tour de North Florida

I finally had the chance to start posting our blog of this trip. To view the pictures for this trip, go to this Picasa link:

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Manatee River State Park – First Location

Monday, March 4, 2013

Already Gone left the house around 10am this morning. We drove north toward Ocala, where we had to stop at Camping World to have them remove our built in stereo, which had quit working. The technician removed the stereo system and will return to the manufacturer for replacement. They are hoping to have the new one when we are on our return trip at the end of the month.

We arrived at our first destination, Manatee Springs State Park, near Chiefland Florida. The park is beautiful and typical north Florida vegetation; hardwood forest, sinkholes and swampy areas. We setup the RV and were ready to play. We met our neighbors across the street. They are from New Jersey and they just retired also. They sold everything and bought a fifth wheel and big Ford truck and are just winging it with no set plans and looking to do some work camping. Very nice people, we will keep in touch with them. They have a beautiful yellow lab named Otis.

By the time we got everything setup, it was getting dark, so we decided to explore the next morning. We prepared dinner of leftover lasagna that we brought. The temps got down to mid 30’s overnight.

Tuesday, March 5

We got up early and had a quick breakfast. It was very chilly, but sunny. Then we took our bikes for a ride around the park trail to see what options for activities there were. We rode down to the spring to see about 20-30 manatees in the spring and the spring run. It was a beautiful, sunny morning, but still chilly. We inquired about kayaking on the Suwannee, but were told the river was much higher than usual and there had been a contamination of the Suwannee River from upstream in Georgia. We rode various trails around the park, which were awesome off-road bike trails. Later, we loaded Kirby and Kody in the truck and drove up to a boat ramp that was upstream of the park about 2 miles. The boys were allowed to run free there, since not too many people were around. There we spoke with a local man that was also letting us know that the water was about 5 feet above normal. Another boat ramp downstream was closed due to the high water. The kayaking options at this point were very limited.

We went back to the RV and relaxed for awhile with Happy Hour and prepared dinner. Kurt had collected some firewood, so he made a nice campfire and we enjoyed that until it was bedtime.

Wednesday, March 6

Overnight, the temps got down to low 30s and was very chilly. After breakfast, we took the dogs for a hike around the Sink Trail. This was a very pretty trail that looped around several sink holes in the park. The boys really enjoyed this hike, as we let them run off leash. We then walked down to the springs with the dogs to look at the manatees. There were some college kids in the water swimming with the manatees. It was still chilly, but sunny and the kids had to have been freezing.

We had decided since it was too cold to do much of anything, we drove down to Cedar Key, which is on the Gulf Coast. It was a Keys-like island, with many vacation homes and a small town near the water. The waterfront had a large marina (fishing is the major industry there) and many touristy shops and restaurants. It was very chilly and windy, so the wind chill was terrible. I had to buy a sweatshirt in one of the tourist shops; I had forgotten to bring a jacket. We walked around town with the boys and then decided to have lunch at a local restaurant. The boys stayed in the truck and slept while we ate. We had local seafood, Kurt had a fried oyster po-boy sandwich and I had a crab cake sandwich. It was all fresh and delicious.

After arriving back at camp, we enjoyed Happy Hour and prepared dinner. Again, Kurt made a large campfire and we enjoyed that until bedtime.

Thursday, March 7

This morning Kurt decided he wanted to paddle at least a small section of the Suwannee. After lunch, we drove to the boat ramp upstream of the park. Kurt took off in his kayak from there and would paddle back to the park where we were camping. It took him about 2 hours and I met him down at the dock to pick him up. He really enjoyed the paddle, despite the cold and wind. While he was kayaking, I took the boys hiking on the Sink Trail again, and they loved it. It was sunny, but still chilly.

We went back to the RV and chatted with some of the RV neighbors. Kurt met a couple, Lynn and Loretta, who were from Baltimore. He was a retired flight engineer, so Kurt asked Lynn if he had a soldering iron, as our space heater had a burned wire from the night before. Lynn loaned him the soldering iron and Kurt was able to fix the heater (MacGyver strikes again).

We began packing some of our stuff and getting ready to leave the next morning. After dinner, we hung out in the RV and watched some TV, until it was bedtime. Another chilly night was ahead of us.

RV Rally and Heading Home

We want to thank all of our friends and family that have followed our blog.  I hope you enjoyed our pictures and discussions.  We are now home safe and will begin to plan our next trip!

Day 30 – (Sunday, 11-4-12) Rally over and heading home…

We awoke earlier than normal, since Daylight Saving Time had changed overnight! We both decided to ride our bikes around the speedway track, as this was allowed prior to 9 am.  There were many people walking and riding bikes around and it was amazing to realize up close how steep the track is around the turns. The rules were not to go up onto the track above the flat lane; but Kurt (the breaker of all rules) just HAD to ride up the slope, which he found quite difficult! I was able to get some pictures of him on the track. We both took pictures and Kurt videoed his ride around the track.

After the ride and breakfast, we both again attended seminars. I went to one on RVing to Alaska and Kurt attended one about making money as an RV delivery driver. Kurt decided that the money is not worth the time and cost involved, so he won’t be doing that job in retirement!

After noon, we packed up the RV to head home. It was an easy 3.5 hour trip, with one stop for diesel fuel. We arrived at the house about 6pm, it was already dark….  Ugh hate this time change.  Anyway, we are home safe, the boys were so excited to see their home again!

What a wonderful month-long trip we had.  We are looking forward to our next extended road trip. Hopefully, in late spring we will head up to Wyoming!

Day 29 – (Saturday, 11-3-12) We bought a new RV!

On Saturday morning we both attended more seminars. I went back to the Geeks on Tour and listened to their presentation on getting and using internet access on the road. Most of the information I was already aware of, but I did learn some new things that will help in our travels. Kurt attended a seminar on RV battery maintenance. It seems there is always something new to learn about. After getting some lunch back at the RV, we went to speak with the Camping World RV dealer to talk about the RV pricing. After much discussion and negotiating, we made an offer they accepted. So the bottom line was a special order new RV with an upgraded electrical system with 50 amps. The delivery time is 4-6 weeks, so we should have it by Christmas. Well, I guess we’ve blown our Christmas budget! Actually, we got a better deal than we ever expected. So our old RV will be on the market immediately, as soon as we get it cleaned up and maintained.

After returning to the RV, we celebrated with Happy Hour and snacks. We then prepared to go to the concert for the evening. Reba McEntire was performing and we are fans, so we were looking forward to the concert. We walked to the Main Stage, which was facing the grandstand of the Speedway. Reba sounded great as usual and we truly enjoyed her music!

Wow, what an exciting day for us! We celebrated with a late evening Happy Hour and some dinner. We’re so excited about the new RV and can’t wait until we get it! 

Day 28 – (Friday, 11-2-12) Good Sam RV Rally

After a chilly night, we awoke and made coffee to get our morning rolling. We looked over the Rally program to finalize the seminars that we each wanted to attend.  I went to a techy seminar on using trip planning software, presented by a husband and wife couple, who call themselves ‘Geeks on Tour”. The seminar was very informative and presented three different trip planning software packages. This will definitely help me in planning our future journeys. Kurt decided to attend a seminar on Trailer tires, brakes and suspensions. He was able to learn a few new tips that will help him in the future. Next, we then both attended a seminar regarding kitchen stocking, efficiency and proper use of appliances. This lady was very knowledgeable about electrical requirements for appliances in the RV. We both learned a lot about the electrical issues with RVs. Since we were camped inside the speedway, we were able to go back and forth to our trailer.

We were glad to have the bikes to move around as we needed, since the trams they ran were slow to get to the main events area. The Speedway is so huge, it’s hard to imagine watching a NASCAR race there. We went back to the trailer to fix lunch and let the dogs out. They were happy to get out and run a little.

After lunch we decided to spend some time in the exhibitor’s tent to look at supplier’s goods and services. We found lots of items that we wanted to purchase, but decided to try to find them at better prices online. After awhile, we went out to the RV dealer’s lots to look for our dream RV. Since we have been researching the perfect RV for us, we already had a brand and model that we knew is perfect for our needs. We looked at various RV travel trailers that were similar to the one we liked, but none of them met all of our requirements. We found the Keystone Outback dealer and was able to find the exact model that we want! The travel trailer is an Outback 277RL, which means it is almost 28 feet long, has a rear living area (with kitchen), separate bathroom and separate bedroom. We had been hoping to find a used one or last year’s model that had been unsold.  But to our disappointment, there were none. The Camping World dealer made us a great offer on a new 2013 model, but we wanted to discuss this more between us and sleep on it. After doing further research online for this model, we decided the deal they offered was VERY good, but Kurt always negotiates further. We decided to go back to see them the next day.

After going back to the RV and fixing some dinner, we went back to the events area and attended a concert by Kenny Rogers.  Well, he was okay, but his singing talent is not what it used to be. We left the concert early (it only lasted an hour anyway) and headed back to the RV for the remainder of the evening.

Good Sam Rally - Daytona Beach

Day 27 – (Thursday, 11-1-12) Arrive at Good Sam RV Rally

After having a wonderful breakfast prepared by Stephen (good old southern biscuits and sausage gravy) we enjoyed spending some more time with my family. Kurt and I got ourselves and the RV ready to roll on down the road to the Daytona International Speedway. We arrived there around 3:30 and drove into the infield. We completed our registration and received all the details of the Rally, trade shows and events. The RV was setup as usual and we were ready for Happy Hour and some dinner. The dogs were worn out and hit their beds early. We are “boondocking” here in the infield (that means our own water & power). This is the first time we have used our generator to run the main power. So far, so good. We’re looking forward to tomorrow, the events and RV show.

Day 26 – (Wednesday, 10-31-12) Heading to Daytona Beach

We finally made it out of camp in Savannah, and headed to my sister’s house just south of Daytona Beach. We arrived there around 4:00 pm. Suzi, Stephen, Steve and Derek (Stephen’s sons) were all there. They have a very nice home way out in the boonies (sort of like our situation). The 2.5 acre lot is really nice. We enjoyed Suzi’s pot of chili for dinner, along with drinks and lively discussions. We all enjoyed our evening together and it was great to see them again, especially at their home. We stayed in the house with our dogs, who were pretty well behaved. After a late evening, we went to bed around midnight.

Last day in Savannah

Day 25 – (Tuesday, 10-30-12) Errands & Relaxation

The morning started very cold and windy. It must have been in the upper 30s last night. Thank God we brought the portable electric heater; we’ve used it several times on this journey. But it seems to be cool just about everywhere. But, we’re enjoying it and will be ready to “winter” in Florida.  Neither of us are cold weather people! Kayaking was still out of the question and it was still too windy.

We had some errands to do that required us to go into town to shop. Dog food, our food, banking, etc., we got accomplished and then headed back to camp. We did some housekeeping, gathering wood for a campfire, etc. Kurt decided to go trail biking for awhile to unwind, it’s scary how much he and Kody can’t sit still for very long… I decided to relax in my style and actually sit out in the sun (with all my winter clothes on) and read my book. While I was sitting out there, the wind was whipping and suddenly a huge dead branch fell down from one of the trees! Glad I wasn’t hit by it, but the weird thing is just a little earlier we were discussing how we could get some firewood! Wow, Kurt just had to break it up a little…

Dinner was prepared, grilled chicken thighs (one of our favorites). We began getting some of the camp chores done early to prepare to leave. We want to get an early start tomorrow, as we head toward Daytona Beach. We will be staying with my sister Suzi and her husband Stephen. We are looking forward to seeing them; it’s been awhile, and they have a new house that we haven’t seen!

We sat around the campfire for awhile before the fire waned and it got too cold to sit outside. We went inside and watched TV for awhile, then got ready for bed and our journey tomorrow.