Dorothy on Henderson Lake near Breaux Bridge, LA

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our last adventure was spending most of a week with Jeanne and Ed who are from our hometown. [They have an Anniversary Edition MB]

It’s Sunday and we are in a most wonderful park, Tickfaw SP near Springfield, LA. This is a CG with great facilities. The sites are not too close together, the pads are paved and level. Each pad has a large deck with a picnic table. It’s less than 6 years old, so the bathhouse is in good condition. There is even free WiFi. Around 5:30 our LD friends arrived, so after they set up we had happy hour and then dinner. I had cooked spaghetti and they brought ice cream and cookies.

Monday we all paddled Lizard Creek to the Tickfaw River. This is a swamp, but it was a fun paddle.

There was a threat of rain the rest week. And some days, the threat was made good. Wednesday, we went into Baton Rouge, about an hour away and toured the state capitol built by Huey Long to be better than the national capitol. We also toured the old capitol building. Both were interesting to us. We had a fine dinner at Mike Anderson’s.

We got home Saturday, March 28. A short trip for us, ten weeks.

The Alligator Tour

We should call this the Alligator Tour. We have been seeing them the whole trip.

We spent an idyllic two days at my cousin Stacey’s farm near Kentwood, LA. He has horses that race, cows that eat grass and boo-coo fire wood. He allows that the latter shows how much he is worth. A new colt was born while we were there and I took dozens of pictures of the colt. It was not like in the movies, no one attended the birth. It was fascinating to watch the new mother attend her colt as he struggled to stand. I spent several hours just watching them walk around the paddock.

Mother and Son

 

 

 

 
Stacey demonstrated that he can cook and plied us with far too much wonderful food. He also gave us an appreciation for Community brand coffee, which we had to purchase.

Tuesday we drove into Baton Rouge and had a fine dinner at my cousins Pam’s. Stacey joined us. It was good to catch up with both of them. It’s just us now; all of our parents, aunts and uncles are gone. We spent the night in Pam’s driveway. We got up “early” and Pam took us to a coffee and beignet place. Yummy! After consuming too much white sugar we drove west and then south into the Atchafalaya Basin to Fausee Pointe SP. We need a pronunciation guide to place names in Louisiana.

We had dinner out Wednesday at Pat’s in Henderson. Red fish stuffed with crab. Not bad. On the return trip, we found a swamp where we must paddle. Near the entrance to the CG, Dorothy saw a Barred Owl on a road sign. A minute later one flew in front of the grill. When we turned in to the CG there was another one perched on sign. We stopped. We looked at him. He looked at us. He decided he could not eat us and he looked the other way. totally unperturbed by us being 10 feet away.

Thursday morning we drove back up the levee road and launched the yaks. We had an enjoyable paddle around the bayou; and then a wonderful Poboy at McGee’s.

We would stay the weekend here, but it’s booked. They say they are full most weekends. The Bayou country has none of the drama of the west, but we like it and we will be back for a longer stay.

Friday we drove back to Baton Rouge to hole up for the weekend. We had lunch at Cousin Stacey’s office. He has a couple come in and cook three times a week for the staff. He had them today “special” for us. They had fried fish, oysters, hush puppies, onion rings and cole slaw. It was all good, my fav was the oysters.

We found a CG near LSU designed for horse events. Only $16 and a decent CG. Quiet, gravel roads and wide grass sites. Only a dozen rigs here.

Winter in Louisiana

If our Blog is boring to you, keep in mind that we do it mostly for ourselves and we are easily entertained.

It is dark. [I think that is like “I am born”] Anyway, at 7:10 this morning, it was more dark than light. Freaking government. No detail is too small to mess with. When we started this trip, it was dark at 7:30 in the Eastern time zone. It was a month until sun time matched local time. Now we get to go through it again.

Sunday, March 8. We are the Fontainebleau SP on the north shore of Lake Ponchatrain. It is a nice enough CG. Beautiful Live Oaks. It has W&E, wi-fi and sewer at some sites. $8 a night on the geezer card.

This is food land. Restaurants abound. Most are local owned. Everyone is a chef. We had BBQ for lunch. This consisted of too much BBQ, too much delicious fried okra, a cup of light brown gumbo and Texas toast. Nine dollars. Such a culinary contrast with Florida where restaurants are scarce.

We drove along Lakeshore Dr. in Mandeville and gawked at the splendid homes. We also passed by the Mandeville Yacht Club where I raced J22’s with my friends many years ago in the Adams Cup Semi-finals Women’s Regatta.

Wednesday, March 11. We are still at Fontainebleau SP. And glad to be here. We are not doing anything exciting. We are not exercising either. We are just being lazy, doing a few chores and listening to Radio Margaritaville.

The CG is going to be full this weekend and so will all the others in the area. We are in our second site already. After talking with Ranger Thomas, he will open another site for us this weekend. It has been off the reservation system due to construction. Construction was completed six weeks back, but somehow the site was not put back in the mix. Lucky for us.

A Lazy Daze from Wisconsin arrived. Maureen and Bruce. We have enjoyed cocktails with them.

The rain that was forecast to start Wednesday, started this afternoon and may continue for 48 hours or so. The CG is nearly full, mostly with LA tags. Great idea, let’s go to the CG and watch TV in the rain. The fellow behind us is typical. He bought every light and doo-dad that CW sells and he spent an afternoon and morning putting them all out. He is camping – inside of course.

I have now achieved Advanced Laziness - woke up at 8:45 this morning!

Sunday we will drive north to see my cousins. And after that? Maybe into the bayou country?

Winter in Florida - Crossing the Pandhandle

We rolled into a cold and windy Panama City Sunday afternoon. We chatted with our LD chums, Ted & Liz, inside the RV. It was much too cold to be outside.

Warmer, but still chilly, on Monday, we did marketing and errands. We should have paddled the boats as the wind was calm.

Tuesday the wind was back up, so we had a good lunch with Ted & Liz at Sweet Basil.

Wednesday morning, we did a few more errands, Dorothy cooked a marvelous new curry lunch and we paddled the yaks on the lee shore. With the water cool, there was little bacteria making the water very clear. We wanted to cross the channel to Shell Island, but the wind and waves would have made it work.


At the jetty in St. Andrews Bay

 

 

 

 

Thursday we said goodbye to Ted & Liz and headed to Perdido Beach, FL. This was our “Sentimental Journey”. Every summer from 1979 – 2004, we would make the trek to the Grand Lagoon Yacht Club for the Windmill Southerns. We camped at Big Lagoon State Park this time and drove to the yacht club looking at all the changes that had taken place since the hurricane in 2005. It seems like every time something is blown down, then a large condo takes its place. We had dinner at Interarity Point Original Oyster House where we ate many Sunday evening meals with our Windmill friends.

Friday we took the beach road to Gulf Shores, pointing out all the places we had stayed, places where we ate, and places where we had fun. The wonderful memories washed over us – Alecia at the beach, either enjoying being with other Windmill kids or babysitting, all the adults swimming in the pool on Sunday afternoon after two days of racing. This was wonderful for us to revisit our past.

Winter in Florida - Headed North

Dorothy in the mangrove tunnel going from Coot Pond to Coot Lake

 


OK, finally I see that at least one mangrove resembles a man

 

 

 

On the way north from the lower keys we “discovered” Curry Hammock CG. It is one of the best CG in the nation. We may try to get a spot there next year.

We decided to hole up in Flamingo for the weekend. In addition to it being a nice CG for $8 a night, we wanted to be warm for a few more days. Our camping chums have been here for a few days and are headed north in tomorrow. However, there are two other Lazy Daze here.

As we headed out for a hike Friday, a third Lazy Daze appeared at the entrance. We saw SC1 on the front and knew it was George and Betty from Texas that we met on the Baja trip last year. So for the next two nights we had the Everglades GTG with them and Howard and Carol from Maryland.

Sunday we left Flamingo for a LONG five-hour drive north to Lake Kissimmee. About 2, we passed Fisheating Creek, which had been recommended to us, but we pressed on. After stopping to grocery shop we finally arrived at the CG, really drained.

We took the inland route, US27, from south Florida. The first hours are through some of the most boring landscape invented by man. It’s totally altered from the way it was created. From Florida City north it’s all row crops. Then you enter an area where all the trees are dead from too much salt. As you near the south end of Lake Okeechobee, dead trees are replaced by sugar cane. The lake has a tall berm so it can hold more water than Nature intended. The berm was added to ensure there will be adequate water for sugar cane cultivation. This means that water intended for the Everglades is diverted to crops. When you consider that sugar in the US is three times the world price thanks to tariffs to keep foreign sugar out, you might wonder why. Well it’s to support a handful of families who make substantial donations to both political parties.

Around Frostproof, FL you exit sugar cane and enter a much more interesting landscape; orange groves mixed with massive pastures full of cattle.

The beaches around Ft. Myers and Naples are stunning. The color of the water in the Keys is incredible. The large wading birds are a delight to see. The winter climate is kind to not getting any younger people. But, otherwise south Florida is a bore.

Tuesday - Back on the road. We turned a 3.5 hour drive in a six hour trip by stopping to shop every few miles. The treasure I wanted, Ardbeg whisky, was not found.

We landed in O’Leno SP and plan on putting the yaks in the river tomorrow.

The 5PM temperature is 62.

We paddled the Ichetucknee River. These Indian names gets a bit tedious don’t they? Anywho, the source of the Ichetucknee is a first-magnitude “Blue Spring”. Within a mile of the origin, two more springs contribute water. This whole area of Florida has dozens of “Blue Springs”. The water is crystal clear. The bottom is white quartz. It’s a delightful area and I am glad to be back where some things are green, even in Winter.


The Ichetucknee River

Thursday, we headed west to Camel Lake, a Forest Service CG near the Apalachicola River. It is one of the best FS facilities we have seen. It’s on a small lake way back in the pines. The grounds are immaculate. There is water at the campsite, plus hot showers for $5. We opted for electric for an additional $5. We even have analog TV and Verizon service. Life is good. And we are in easy driving of Panama City where we will jump to next.

The 5PM temperature is 69.

Winter in Florida - Everglades & The Keys

The ranger-guided tour of the Turner River was OK. It was a little too long for us. Dorothy wanted to go through the mangrove tunnel, we did and she liked it. She did manage to complain that she had trouble paddling the yak after she had to break the paddle in half to negotiate the narrow channel.

On the Turner River

 

 

 

 
The Everglades

Thursday, we drove 90 minutes south to Long Pine Key in the Everglades. Long Pines are the skinny slash pines that are semi-resistant to high winds.

Our camping chums the Dan & Rene and Terry and Betty were already there, just back from the Keys and ready to hike every trail and photograph every bird and alligator. More alligators and wading birds! Big whoop. I need a mountain! The highest point here is five feet.


Blue Eyed Bird


Blue Heron

 

 

 

 

 

Osprey


Barred Owl

 

 

 

 

 
It warmed up. Now it hot and sticky, like home in July.
We drove down to Flamingo and enjoyed lunch on the beach under a tree. It was cooler than the CG and we had a fine shore breeze.

When traveling, we find it important to understand the local culture. South Florida is not Iowa. Two examples.

A Latino family was parked a few spaces down from us and had the requisite number of latinoettes playing with the family dog. Grandmother supervised the mama, poppa and the little ones. When the dog did #2, grandmother walked over and bent down - not to scoop up, but to wipe the dog’s ass.

In sunny south Florida a lot of what we eat is grown. This means there is a large population of farm workers, whose skin is brown. So it makes sense that there is a park named Benito Juarez complete with a bust of him. Senor Juarez was the first Mexican to serve as President and is regarded as Mexico’s most illustrious leader. So it is logical to honor him with a park in Florida. I’ll bet Mexico has parks honoring George Washington and George Bush.


Sunbathing on TOP of the RV????

 

 

 

 

 
The Keys

Monday we drove down the Overseas Highway to Mile Marker 27, Ramrod Key, to see Ralph and Mary Ann. They have an exceptionally delightful and comfortable home on the water. The weather is perfect for doing not much of anything, one of our fav activities. The temp is in the low 80’s and with brisk breeze. I have discovered that watching the wind blow palm fronds produces considerable quantities of exceptionally pure tranquility. The Keys are better than I recalled. So many properties are for sale. Buy a piece of heaven with the little you have left.

We drove south Tuesday looking for a put-in site on the lee side of the road. Did not find one. Wound up in KW. Cruise ship at dock. Very crowded. Escaped.

We went to a local Tiki bar, The Boondocks, last night to see a local band Mile Marker 24, which is the next key down. They have a devoted following, young and old. The lead singer dresses in island garb, a la Buffett. http://www.milemarker24.com/

Today, the wind laid down in the afternoon and I took one of the hosts yak’s out for a short paddle. Upwind was slow, but I just let her drift back and she found her own patch on the beach.

We will head back to the Everglades and overnight there, before continuing north. We are expected in Panama City March 1.


A delightful place to be

Winter turns warm

Sunday, we drove back towards Ft. Myers and paddled the Orange River. Nothing really spectacular, except for the manatees that love the warm water from the power plant. It was good exercise in a pleasant setting.

On Monday, our camping chums bailed from Ortuna to go to the Everglades. They have the hiking addiction. We decided to stay out our nine day reservation at Ortuna. The wind never abated so we never got to paddle the coastal islands. But we stayed warm with electric heat and watched four movies. One, Appaloosa was actually first-class. Anywho we spent a lazy week doing almost nothing.

Sunday we drove two hours southeast to Big Cypress Preserve. Finally, the Florida landscape changed from orange groves and cattle to the more appealing “swamp”.

Monday morning we went Shark Valley and got on the tram with all of the other cheesy tourists for a 17 mile trip through the Everglades. First, there are no sharks. They do have boo-coo alligators and wading birds. The alligators lay on the road the tram and bikers take. A good feeding place I suppose. I was disappointed not to see a gator gulp down a French biker. And so it goes.


Ranger showing you cannot sink into the marsh because of the limestone base


Blue Heron seeking lunch

Gators sunning


What the Everglades look like in the Winter

Mommy gator with kiddies

Tuesday we drove to Everglades City. What a bust. Dorothy wanted a seafood lunch. I balked at $30 plus for a sandwich and drink. Dorothy sulked. She wants to run over Nancy Pelosi. Who wouldn’t?

Wednesday we take the ranger guided yak trip. We are looking forward to that.