Florida – the Sunshine state… done!

So we finally leave Florida after crawling over much more of the state than we originally planned. The sun certainly did shine with only a few hours rain and temperatures above 75F everyday and above 60F at night - except for a couple of cold nights. No, you’re right; we were not really expecting any sympathy given how cold it is in the UK right now. We have walked and sunbathed on some amazing beaches often totally alone – where is everybody? Maybe it isn’t cool to be seen on a beach in Florida in the fall? After finally getting a strategy for dealing with the mozzies (the worst bit) Florida has really grown on us in the last weeks. The Florida State Parks offer an oasis – the real Florida (their words). The parks offer a different experience from our previous trip to Disney where everything is possible - including a mouse with three fingers! Both are fun but one is disappearing fast (Florida wetlands at 2% pa) that in time maybe the only place you will be able to experience the real Florida is as part of a Disney experience………..

Lots of wildlife in Florida. We have seen deer, alligators, three snakes and numerous different birds and countless flying things (crickets etc). The more rewarding sightings include osprey, bald eagles, manatees, racoons (bandits), armadillos (sound and act like a tank coming through the bush), tortoise, turtle(s), dolphins and manta ray.

So just to update you where we have been since Cape Canaveral and the shuttle - the damn thing never did take off! Here is our route…

South along the Atlantic coast… Palm Beach Through the Everglade National Park (our 4th NP)
Down to the Florida Keys – Long Key
National Cypress Reserve with alligators everywhere – hundreds of them!
North up the Gulf Coast… Naples, St Petersburg
Then Orlando (RV’s choice not ours)… a long story - it was scheduled for a new Grey water tank but that is now set for Phoenix, Arizona in the New Year.


Lake Kissimmee, Lake Louisa, Manatee Springs, Apalachicola National Forest.
Finally along the Pan handle (Florida looks a bit like a saucepan) St Georges Island, St Joseph, St Andrews and Henderson Beach derogatively referred to as Red Neck Riviera (lots of holiday makers from Georgia – think Blackpool) and finally into Alabama on the 1st Dec

Now done around 5000 miles and the RV is ready for a lube (oil change)

Rather than a detailed and endless overview we thought we would give you a couple specific highlights each and then a joint favourite.

Jane’s highlights’ include…

Dolphins, (two different types) playing in St Joseph’s Bay on Thanksgiving morning.
Manatee Springs – Manatees, nine deer approached us at dusk, racoons and Den racing an armadillo to the toilet block on his bike. (Yes, Den, not the armadillo, was on the bike - he spooked it and it shot off in the same direction)


Den’s best bits…

Night sky - Flamingo Bay, deep in the Everglades. No light pollution, just stunning.
Sunset at Long Key (previous blog) and anything at St Joseph Peninsular beach with its acres of dunes of brilliant white sand that looks just like snow. Opps! Sorry, we mentioned the weather again : ).


And the WINNER IS…

***** Jane’s courgette and feta tart birthday meal *****

Take care. Jane and Den X