We finally earned our Florida sticker for the trailer! Gotta admit that we were feeling a little judged by some folks for not having "wintered" in FL as of yet; as it's kind of the stereotypical trailer thing to do! But there were actually some good reasons for not having done so. In no particular order: price, availability and crowds. And, truth be told, there was another reason (for ME at least) and that was not wanting to put any money in that lunatic of a Governor's pocket! But we had decided to get it done this year and compromised by spending a little time in Florida - 2 & 1/2 weeks to be exact.
We made reservations back in July of 2022 to stay for two weeks in February of 2023 at Kathryn Abbey Hanna Park in Jacksonville, FL. We chose this place because it's located in Northern Florida and, therefore, not only less expensive, but also had more availability and wouldn't be as hot as Southern FL (since we didn't want to shock our systems). This was one of our more brilliant moves because we picked it for the reasons just stated and despite the fact that it was listed as a "city park". So imagine our surprise AND thrill when we arrived to our "city park" destination only to find it was a tropical spot with a 10 minute walk to the ocean! It was a big-ass campground (with 300 sites) but they were well spread out in tons of rows with spanish moss and palm trees lending tons of privacy. It turned out to be great for walking in order to get some steps in during those times when we didn't feel like walking over to the ocean. Although it was great to walk at the ocean and pretty cool to see the difference in the water, the sand and the birds as compared to The Carolinas. The Park also had some great walking and biking trails, so it truly was a mega jackpot! And I am pleased to report that we made it out of FL without laying eyes on a single alligator - which I have to admit I was a wee bit worried about!
While walking around the campground we met some nice folks and some sweet dogs; as is often the case in this new world of ours. However, one dog in particular, Belle (who I have pictured here), totally stole my heart. She was a senior girl (16) who was walking around with a 'cone of shame' on because she had just injured her eye while camping and was in the process of being treated by an eye specialist in the area. This sweetie had the sweetest damn disposition and she made my day whenever she walked by my campsite with her people (or I by hers...). I had some wonderful talks with her mom, Jenny (a retired art teacher), about the love of dogs and our role in helping them live their best lives. It was one of those beautiful memories that will definitely stay with me.
One of the "benefits" of our now being dog-less on this adventure is that we got to visit the Daytona Speedway and attend "The Duels" on Thursday of Race Week. For you non NASCAR fans out there (who I know are most of you) - The Duels are the two 150 mile qualifying races at Daytona that set the field for the Daytona 500 on that Sunday. It was a thrill to get to see this amazing 2 & 1/2 mile track and watch them race as the sun went down and into the evening. And boy did we get some exercise that day! We had seats at mid field but in the last row of the highest section (because that's the best vantage point for seeing the entire track). The seats were awesome and the races were fun, and "our guy" won the first race. But I gotta tell you - I was huffing and puffing like I've never huffed and puffed going up those bleepin' grandstands! But the view and the sounds and the sunset were truly spectacular. Daytona was a two hour drive from our campground and an all-day (and evening) adventure - so definitely not an adventure we could have had if we still had our beloved Penny with us.
The other adventure we went on while in Jacksonville was to visit the Oldest City in the United States - St. Augustine. We figured since we were so close we HAD to visit this important landmark! While there, we took a tour of the very cool National Monument - the Castillo de San Marcos Fort. This fort was built by the Spanish in St. Augustine more than 450 years ago to defend Florida and the Atlantic trade route. It was fascinating to see and learn about.
On our adventures to both Daytona and St. Augustine's we had the opportunity to stop for fuel at BUC-EE'S - which is a supersized highway pit stop that originated in Texas and now can also be found in Alabama and Florida. One of our full-timing friends had told us about BUC-EE'S and the incredibly cheap gas (and diesel fuel) and yummy food. Not to mention his description of it being "an experience you can't miss". The amount of gas pumps there is literally mind-boggling...there are rows and rows of double pumps with (we estimated) possibly 100 pumps! The store is HUMONGOUS - so there is plenty of room for the rows of gas pumps outside. But the store itself is like a Disneyland of food choices with stations making pulled pork sandwiches, tacos and burritos, fudge etc... right there in front of you! The self-serve coffee stations give you choices of hot or iced coffee or tea and the options of flavored creamers etc... to pour into them are beyond impressive; and the areas are left spotless despite the serve-yourself functions! There's a deli as well as pre-made sandwiches and salads, not to mention aisles and aisles and aisles of salty and sugary snacks and a large beer and wine area. Oh, and there is a whole section of the store with southern themed home-decor and also tons of BUC-EE'S merchandise (t-shirts, pjs, bathing suits, sweatshirts, coolers, camp chairs....). I could go on and on - IT'S CRAZY!!!! Oh, and I forgot to mention the "world famous bathrooms" which have won the "cleanest restroom award" and are spacious and plentiful! I've included a couple of pictures of Karl & I with BUC-EE; because I HAD to pose with him in the store and we had to acknowledge his cute little bronzed statue outside. I know I've babbled about this place, but it is really a unique, crazy and brilliant thing to have in these high traffic areas on the highways. Oh yeah - that reminds me, they start announcing on billboards that a BUC-EES is coming your way about 50-100 miles ahead of time!
Another highlight of our time in Jacksonville was a brief but wonderful visit by one of my college roommates "Mama" Hubbard. Mama was on a whirlwind driving adventure with her adorable dog Gracie, with planned visits to friends who live in Amelia Island and then Palm Beach. My wonderful friend made a detour to come visit us for a HUG - it did my heart good!!!
After our memorable two weeks in Jacksonville we headed west on the Panhandle. We stayed in Lamont, Port Saint Joe and then DeFuniak Springs before leaving The Sunshine State and heading towards our next adventure in the Gulf Shores of Alabama.
EDITOR'S NOTE: The updated map pictured below is where we have been so far on this full-timing journey (since 4/15/21); we have spent the night in our trailer in each state to earn a sticker!
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