Day 9–Dr. JG Bruce St. George Island State Park

 

We  got up to rain but with hints of blue sky. When we arrived at St. George were told by the Park Ranger ranger that the CG was full. One of our main objectives to stay at the CG  was to attend an astronomy program that was being held from 11am to 1 pm daily.

We paid the fee to get in and were told to park our rig in the parking lot 3/10 of a mile from the CG entrance and walk to the site of the program. Ron being Ron does things his way and took the left into the CG instead. He parked illegally right in front of the site that the program was being held.

                             

We weren’t sure what a daytime astronomy program would involve but we soon found out. We were able to look at  dark spots on the sun through the telescope with a green filter. Pretty cool  or should  I say hot to see.  LOL  The astronomer told us that he makes arrangements with different CG;s to do his program for a free stay.

           

The program wasn’t quite as advertised but good anyway. He had a night sky presentation scheduled depending on the weather.

We were told to stop by the Ranger Station on our way out to check on any openings. Logic told us to call before leaving the CG to inquire.  They did have a site available for one night but could not accommodate us over the phone. So we had to drive the two miles to the Ranger Station to sign up in person according to the rules.

Once secured in our site we enjoyed the warmer but yet still cool weather. We took a walk out on the beach in our winter coats and scarves.

 

          

We had some great sunshine at the camp site and were blocked from the wind by the dunes so opted to catch some rays. We were joined by one of our feathered friends who stayed with us for a good part of the afternoon.

                

 That cardinal hung around with us all afternoon and did not appear to be concerned that he was sharing his space with humans

We have not had a campfire in years so decided this would be a good opportunity. Ron broke down and bought some fire wood and proceeded to build a fire.  The wood was a little wet (surprise, surprise) so my expert fire starter didn’t have his usual luck.

Then the clouds came rolling in and blocked all view of the night sky.So, no night astronomy program for us.

Since we had no TV or internet access we settled in for a night of reading. The plan is to begin heading West – yes, really West in the morning. We shall see. We have been skirting the Emerald Coast for days so it is time to get on with the journey – I think!!!!!

Day 8 - Holiday Campground , Panacea, Florida

 

After three days at Fort Clinch and deteriorating  weather we decided to get back on the road. The drive/ride began with  a slight drizzle then progressed to more torrential rain. Again, we have been getting dribs and drabs of sunshine, not the consistent sun we have been looking for.

We’re thinking our plan to go West instead of South this year may not have been the best choice but we will make the best of it. Sooner or later we will get the weather we are seeking out.

We are still not exactly heading  West but have taken a bit of a detour heading Southerly to St. George Island. After 200 miles of back roads and bad weather we decided to look for an available CG.

Ron had tagged the Holiday CG  so we decided to stop there before going over the  bridge to St. George Island. The blue CG sign was on the right with the arrow pointing  down the street on the right but the actual entrance to the cg was about 20 feet past the sign. Needless to say we passed both the road (wrong anyway) and the entrance to the CG. Since we are towing backing up is not an option so we went down the road to the boat ramp and turned around.

The CG owner was very nice and told us that people will either take the right  or drive by despite the giant Holiday GC sign at the entrance. LOL. Anyway we were there and glad to get a place to settle in for the night.

The view from our campsite was quite pretty despite the rain. The sun actually peaked out for a few minutes but quickly retreated.

 

We plan to try to get into Dr. Julian G. Bruce St. George Island State Park on  Friday without a reservation. Would hate to make that 50 mile drive for nothing. The on-line reservation system states the park is full but that is not always accurate so we’ll check it out in person.  We have been there before and really liked it  so going back would be a treat for us.

Day 7–Fort Clinch State Park (#3) Amelia, Island, Florida

Our initial plan was to head on down the road but the sun was shining with predicted temps in the high 70’s so we decided to stay for one more day. We were up and out the door fairly early for us.

We always thought that  New England had the market cornered on hour by hour weather changes but I think Florida is high on the list as well. We started out in jeans, sneakers and long sleeve shirts, then shorts, sandals and short sleeve shirts then back to long pants – all within a 3 hour period. Hot-cold –hot cold!!!

We took a ride over to the  Riverside CG (we’re on the ocean side) to check it out. It was quite chilly by the river with the wind whipping with clouds moving in. So much for the sunny day we started out with.

 

The weather continued to deteriorate quickly so we decided to check out some other areas of the park before we got hit with the rain that was on the way.

 

I wanted to walk out on the pier but had been putting it off because of my concerns about being able to tolerate a long walk with my knee. But, I did well on the  beach so off we went.

The temp was a balmy 73 but the wind was whipping and the clouds rolling in pretty quickly. Even though it was warm we decided to wear our light jackets.

 

Then the rain started!!!!!! The goal was to get to the end of the pier, so we continued despite the rain.

 

When we got to the end of the pier it was pouring but that didn’t stop the guy with the professional camera gear from continuing  his recording of the rough seas.

 

I had a goal and made it to the end of the pier with only two short episodes of sharp pain in the knee – otherwise OK. Now it was back to the parking lot in the pouring rain. The jackets we had on were useless so we were getting quite wet.

 

The wind continued to pick up and the waves were crashing over the barriers at rapid speed.

                     

                 

We finally got back to the car soaked to the bone but happy that I was able to walk the one-mile round trip without difficulty. Hiking trails – here we come!!!!!!

I did mention that the weather changes every 15 minutes or so. By the time we got out of our wet clothes and had a light lunch the sun was out again.  Sooo- we jumped at the chance of getting back into shorts and sandals and sat out and enjoyed the next two hours in the sun.

By 4:30 pm a thunderstorm rolled in and once again the temps plummeted. The wind picked up and we were again relegated to the inside of the MH. Fickle weather!

The plan is to head out on Thursday, again depending on the weather here. We shall see. We are trying to follow the sun and warmth but are only getting both in small fragments of time. Still better then snow.

 

Day 6, Fort Clinch State Park, Amelia Island, Florida

Well, once again our Florida weather experience has not changed.  Great weather on our first few hours here then BAM! Lousy weather. So much for the short sleeve shirts and sandals.  LOL

The temps cooled rapidly last evening and continued to plummet. Woke this morning to temps in the low 50’s with a heavy fog blanketing the area. The fog was suppose to lift and burn off but never did.  So we were back in long pants, shirts and jackets. Still better then what is happening back home.

                       

Walking out to the pier to see the ocean (or more aptly – not see the ocean) was out of the question so we decided to take a ride into  town for lunch.

Fernandina Beach is a quaint little town with pretty storefronts. We ate at the  Happy Tomato promoted for their great pulled pork.

                       

It was a little place with outdoor dining and a few small tables inside. The food was good and plentiful. So much so that we had enough left overs for two more meals.

 

                  

The weather was cool, drizzling and overcast but we decided to take a walk around town. Ron always has to pose with a statue  and there was one available. LOL

                              

 

                        

We walked to the pier to check out the boats but the fog was still very dense even at 5 pm.

               

We decided to be bad and stopped at the candy and fudge store and bought some very tasty fudge. It’s the first time this trip we have eaten bad food that was oh sooo good.

                    

Back at the MH we were greeted with even more dense fog. No viewing the ocean today from our MH or from even a few feet away.

We had originally thought  we might stay at Fort Clinch for several days but since the weather is not going to change any time soon we will head on down the road. I guess rain & fog is better then snow.

Day 5–Fort Clinch State Park, Amelia Island, Florida

We woke to beautiful sunshine with the prediction of 82 degree weather in Jacksonville, Fla.  So we decided to stop at Fort Clinch State Park in Amelia Island.

We had been there last winter and really enjoyed the small, quiet CG right on the ocean. When we arrived we were able to secure a non-reservable site, meaning that we could stay at the site for as long as two weeks if we wanted. Good to know, just in case we opt to stay longer then 2 days.

When we finished setting up we sat out in the sunshine and had our lunch. The sun was just what we both needed but we could have done without the humidity. But no complaints, just glad to be out of the snow and cold.

Later in the day I decided to test my knee. I haven’t been for a long walk or really any walk since my surgery in September so the challenge was on.  The initial walk was around the CG circle with Jewel.  The knee didn’t feel too great so I decided to get back to the MH and sit.

Around 5 pm I opted to take a walk out to the beach with Ron and really give the old knee a test run. Put on my knee support and off we went. The boardwalk is being replaced but accommodations were made so people could get out to the beach.

  

 

We walked about 3/4 of a mile on the beach enjoying the sound of the waves crashing on the shore and the warm sun on our faces. This is one of those places we call our little peace of heaven.

          

It may be a little difficult to make out but all along the beach the waves carved pictures in the sand that looked like perfectly sculpted trees. Ron tried to get a good shot but the lighting wasn’t that great.

 

          

My first real walk was a success, so the plan is to keep pushing on. Hopefully tomorrow will be as nice as today. It’s predicted that it will be in the low 70’s with partial sunshine.

Day 4–Super bowl Sunday–Golden Isles RV Park, Brunswick, GA

We planned on getting an early start but when we got up we were socked in with fog. The local news reported that I-95 was so bad there was zero visibility so stay off the roads if possible.

So here we were up and ready to go at 8 am with no where to go as yet. By 10 am we were ready to take our chances and hit the road. It was still quite foggy over the CG but I could finally see some cars on the road through the trees for the first time that morning.

We were on the road by 10:30 am on a quest to get to Georgia and find a CG that offered cable TV so we could watch the Super bowl. We did some research and found a place that sounded and looked good on paper.

When we arrived we were a little disappointed but were ready to get down to the business of setting up for the Super bowl.  Also, truth be known, it was a Passport America CG – so half price.  Yep, I said half-price.

Anyway, there is a saying, “you get what you pay for.” LOL. They advertised a newly renovated Pavilion and super cable service. Not so much – the pavilion was fair and we were unable to secure Fox on the super cable advertised.

You ask, why didn’t we move to another CG. Mr. stubborn was going to get  the football game on the TV if it killed him. As usual he worked his magic and we got Fox so were able to get the game. Once we knew we had the game covered I was able to continue setting up the MH for the stay.

While Ron was working on the TV issue we heard the guy next to us sounding very angry and yelling at out dog. Apparently we blocked his satellite reception when we pulled in so he was not a happy man. He had his satellite receiver on our picnic table that our dog was tied to.  We were assigned the spot so maybe he should have taken it up with the owners of the CG. Anyway after a lot of complaining and mumbling he finally got his satellite receiver to work. Later he came over to make amends by letting us know the happenings around the CG.

Once settled, we had dinner and watched the pre-game shows. We were hoping for a great match-up among two tough teams.

Day 3–Travel Day to Swamp Fox CG, Florence, South Carolina

I’ve been neglect keeping up the blog so am a couple of days behind. Not too much to tell anyway.

The temp dropped to 26 degrees during the night as predicted. Ron forgot to disconnect the hose so we had no water in the morning. Ilt was a quick fix with Ron taking my hairdryer and thawing out the ice in the hose. Within 15 minutes we were back in business.

Ron’s shingles episode has taken its toll on him. The intermittent pain in his arm has been difficult at times and he has been very tired. Hence we have been traveling at a snails pace for us – about 300 miles a day.

I told Ron – no big deal, we’re in no hurry since we  are BOTH now retired. LOL.

After driving through torrential rain for over two hours we stopped at Swamp Fox CG in  Florence, South Carolina for the night. To our dismay there was no ability to get WiFi – our hot spot wouldn’t even work.  The TV had only four channels with old time TV shows on so we hit the sack early – again.

And, by the way, the roof did not leak – Thank You Camping World and Tanner!!