Sorry Alabama We Missed You Again....

Time to make some miles; up at the crack of dawn and on the road.  Four States planned for one day!  The rest in Pensacola was fabulous but another storm is coming and we are headed North to Dallas.  Our first plan was to get off the Interstate.  We found highway 98 again.  It was a beautiful drive through bayous, farms, and small forests.  Our route would once again mean that we would scoot across the shortest part of Alabama and with Mobile being so close to our beginning, we have decided to press on.  Some other time perhaps.

Once into Mississippi we discovered a scenic fact that we missed on our way out.  This was due to us crossing Mississippi and Alabama all on the I10 Interstate going East.  This back yard roadway adventure has proven a little known fact. There is a church of some size (some huge) every 1.2 miles on average.  At one little town there were five in a row, on the same side of the road.  This land of sinners appears to have Perry Florida beat all to Hell.  Sorry couldn't help myself.

The goal was to get to Natchez, Mississippi which we did.  Our RV park was a short drive through a very run down part of town on the opposite side of the Mississippi river which placed us officially in Louisiana.  It was noticeable that although the houses and mobile homes were falling down most of them had a new truck in the driveway or a $2 car with $6000 tires and wheels.   

Riverview RV park is beautiful and right on the river.  We enjoyed a hot tub and I swam in the pool to the shock of the staff in the office (not heated).

Natchez is the birthplace of the Southern revolutions, dating back to the Spanish and French occupations.  We visited the main tourist centre and took in all the reading panels of its history.  The city is a tourist mecca with a pilgrimage every year.  There is a large selection of period homes that have all been restored and turned into museums.  Several hold 'Gala Dinners' in period costume and serve full meals.  We drove all the streets and even watched 'guests' arriving at one of the homes for dinner.  There is a Paddleboat Casino (that goes nowhere) moored on the riverbank and another one overlooking the river.  Just as we found at the ocean (Biloxi), gambling is a big attraction in Mississippi.

The advantage to being on the other side of the river was the price of fuel.  Although Natchez Mississippi is flourishing, that cannot be said for the other side of the bridge.  The businesses on the Louisiana side, along the 98/84 were mostly vacant.  Only the Walmart mall at the end of the strip had any activity.  This picture of a dead gas station tells the story.  Look at the posted price of the fuel, that was some time ago.  I did get fuel for $3.60 which is our cheapest so far. The average has been more in the $3.99 - $4.09 range.  If you fuel along the Interstate highways you really pay the price, as they are all in the $4.29-4.59 range.  Staying away from the insanity pays off in more ways that one.

We had a lovely evening, a warm walk along the river and a great sleep but awoke to dense fog and cool temperature on our Easter Sunday.  The fog lifted as we left the river valley and the scenery was again beautiful farms and wooded forests (+churches).  The road kill changed significantly.  Lots of deer had been struck in the night and large buzzards were enjoying their feasts.  Saw our first Armadillo and Possum pancakes. 

Kaye announced that she could smell smoke and it was getting very strong fast.  As we approached a patch of dense trees the smoke could be seen above them.  It was the last remnants of a house fire, still smouldering and giving off dense smoke.  There were no people, no firetrucks, no EMS, nothing... We drove on slowly, passing more churches with full parking lots and wondered if we should stop and say something.  Very strange.  For a drive that started out fine, things were changing and I could see the edge of the storm moving towards our highway 84.

The edge of the storm caught us in one of the forest areas.  Small limbs from the trees lining the road were starting to hit the truck so we drove to an opening at an intersection and waited it out.  


About 20 minutes of driving sheets of rain and wind and then it eased to just rain.  Kaye loves to do brain teaser puzzles while we drive.  With a nice laugh she announced that the one she was working on was aptly titled; 'Name that Hurricane'. By this time we had a large following of parked vehicles behind us and the next hour of driving saw us dodging downed trees with the highway littered with branches and debris   Trust Dave to find a good storm!

We elected to stay outside of Dallas and picked a great sounding RV park named Bluebonnet Ridge in Terrell, Tx about 35 miles away from downtown Dallas.  That meant that my final few hours would be spent on the I40 Interstate.   I was shocked to see the massive road signs snapped off and commented that Shreveport must have been pummelled by the storm.  Something was strange about the signs though, they were all 'snapped off' perfectly even on all their support posts.  Turns out some smart engineers built double hinges and shear bolts into the support posts so that the signs would just 'blow' over and minimize the damage to themselves.  Worked for many but not for all!

Time to Go Join the Navy, Well Naval Air At Least

We are retired military and we find ourselves leaving white sand beaches and heading for a Navel Air Station.  It must be all those recruiting centres we find in every little town across this country.

If you want to camp right beside the ocean but within access to a huge natural forest system with city amenities close by, then pick Ho-Hum RV park.  They have a great bath house and laundry plus many of the sites are backed right onto the ocean.  Book well in advance.

Our drive along the Gulf Highway was not as slow as I was prepared for.  It was a lot of; "Oh my look at that" as we passed sea side mansions then open spaces and even stretches of jungle like bush land.  The time change at Mexico Beach gave us back an hour and Kaye had been reading the travel guide about Pensacola Beach activities so we picked a restaurant called 'Dirty Dicks Crab House'.  We shared a Clam Chowder Bread Bowl and an order of steamed Cajun spiced jumbo shrimp with corn and sausage.  If we had not eaten at 'The Freezer' in Homosassa this would have been a great meal but the meal at 'The Freezer' blew this chain restaurant out of the water.  Most of the menu is deep fried Heart Attack sized servings but the place was packed and the service was great.

Pensacola Beach is designed for family activities to take advantage of the majestic white sand beaches.  Lots of theme parks, kiddie activities and night life.  We picked a little RV park called Heritage Oaks which according to Google is within 5 miles of the NAS.  

There is a great history surrounding this little Mobile Home village that is upgrading their RV Park amenities.  The park is now owed by a local non-profit society who cleared out all the old mobile homes and set up brand new ones.  They also cleared out all the old tenants and have replaced them with low income clean and sober families.  The park Manager (Aaron) used to work for the company that builds the homes, now trying to become 'retired', he is looking after this little place with charm and doing a great job.  So if you are coming to the see the Naval Air Museum at NAS Pensacola give this little park a visit.  Great WiFi, clean bath house, cablevision coming later this year but lots of over the air channels anyway.  They had an Easter Party for all the children in the park on the day we went to the Museum complete with a Pinata.

As we were setting up, Tim, from an older Motorhome, came over for a chat.  He wanted to visit with his brother.  Tim lost a leg to above the knee in a drag racing incident some years ago.  He spied Kyle and well, you know how the rest of the story goes.  While we are talking about Kyle, he got introduced to a couple of feral cats who held their ground and did not run away.  One Tabby arched his back so high he looked like the black Halloween cutouts we are familiar with. Since the cats did not run, Kyle just sniffed and bounced around but nothing spectacular happened.  Well until we took him for his evening business and left him snoozing outside the door, not on his leash. 

I had just had a shower and put on a clean T shirt.  Kaye was relaxing in her chain and invited Kyle up for a snuggle.  He only stayed a moment, very agitated.  After he was down I sensed this ugly fish smell.  It was the sleeve of my shirt, Kaye had just done laundry, the waft was getting stronger.  I bent to sniff Kyle, Holy Smoke...Out, Out of the trailer.  He knew what had happened and he actually seemed to enjoy getting a washdown from Dad.  New plan, find a dog beach!

We have driven 6600 miles with no particular schedule.  As we approached Pensacola NAS we are greeted by the massive automated sign welcoming the new Captain and saying farewell to the new Admiral.  We are in bumper to bumper traffic on the station and being directed and parked by uniformed seamen.  The museum is huge, stretches over three massive buildings and hangers.  We asked our personal parking seaman if the museum was this busy every day and were greeted with; "This is the change of command ceremony and last Blue Angles Air Show of the season".  What a fluke to arrive on this very day and just in time for the final speeches and applause.  Very crisp uniforms.

We followed the crowd out to the front of the flight line and watched the Blue Angles.  Happy to say that our dear Snowbirds still blow them out of the water.  What was difference seeing everyone following the show with their Smartphones pointed towards the action.  How times have changed.  We scooted off the flight line early and grabbed a coffee and soup in the 'Mess' before tackling the museum.

There was an IMAX theatre in the main building, a tribute to Women in Naval Aviation in 'Hanger One', hundreds of fully restored aircraft, many mounted in the air and so much history and art that it is too much to see in one day.  The IMAX show on flight was narrated by Tom Selleck.  A lot of the video used was old footage of airshow crowds which was really fun to point out the change in dress codes and hair styles not to mention the 'size' of the crowds.  This is a place to see and it is free to everyone (IMAX had a small fee).

Time to de-stink the dog.  The dog beach was small but packed.  One neat feature was two dog wash stations complete with spray hoses and leash holders like at a groomers.  We watched dogs become tuckered at the beach and then walk on their own to the wash station and wait for their owners to get the hint.  We put Kyle through this process but he was not so pleased or willing.

The drive to the beach took us into a housing district beside the river and the contrast between old and new homes caught our eye.  We continued on the scenic route all along the river.  We were back in the "Ooh Aww" chanting theme.  Check out the play house!

Everyone in the RV parks has a Golf Cart to get around on. You all know how much 'stuff' we carry with us just to go out for the day, so imagine the joy when Kaye found a cart built just for us!  Kaye, Dave, Kyle and room for 'stuff'.

Pensacola has something for everyone including a wildlife preserve, Gulf Island National Park, that stretches for miles and is open to the public for walking, cycling and beach activities.  Sadly pets are not allowed, not even on a leash. :0(  

Where to next?

Beach, Beach, Chase some Birds on the Beach!

On our trip East we had been caught by the bad weather tormenting the Gulf Coast in NW Florida so we skipped over the Carrabella coastline and followed the I10 to Tallahassee and then took the 98 South to Perry and on to Crystal River.  Horrible Interstate driving.  For this return trip we planned to stay at Daytona Beach while visiting the Kennedy Space Centre.  As I already explained, that plan went astray due to Spring Break, so we were really feeling guilty about Kyle waiting so patiently for us to return from our adventures.  New plan, go cross country on the 40 and hook back up with the 98 on the West coast South of Perry and then travel the complete coastal highway to Pensacola NAS.  It was a wonderful, stress-less trip.  The traffic was non-existent, the scenery was spectacular and the miles went by with a constant filmstrip of neat little towns.

At an intersection of the 40 and someplace we spied a field of colour.  It was a huge bazaar of ceramic and welded nick-nacks that filled buildings, sheds, the complete grounds and....I don't know how we got out of there without spending a nickle.   Must have been all the trips to Mexico and the unwillingness of the staff to barter.  Their loss.  Kaye wants a Pelican for the new deck, anyone up to carving one for us?


My fuel light was glowing when we caught back up with the 98 and our tummies had been growling for the last hour.  After gassing up, no pun intended we realized that we were in the same no name town that we had a fabulous Chinese lunch on our way to Crystal River the first time.  6000 miles and we just fall into this place again...must be the fortune cookies.

The 98 around the coast is a great road. Fully resurfaced and fun to drive.  We were back to the land of houses on stilts and miles of driving right beside the ocean.  Our destination was an RV park right on the beach - Ho Hum; great name and great T shirts for sale in support of a charity.  That got Kaye talking about all the work she did with the Legion and the Red Shirt program for Afghanistan Vets.  Most of the people camped were full timers but our immediate neighbours had a husky named Zena who was a giant fluff ball.  They were from just 30 miles down the road but the ocean was calling and that is the draw that some of us live for.

The beach was everything Kyle could have asked for and us too.  He still couldn't catch any gulls and there was something in the berm (between the beach and the properties) that kept his nose buried and his body doing the jumping jacks.  Sorry no video.

People with good imaginations have been picking up the trash they find and turning it into 'art' displays.  This coastline is covered with beautiful properties and homes.  We have decided to forego speed for beauty and will continue to follow the beachfront highway all the way to Pensacola Naval Air Station.   We have been told by many, over and over, that we have to see their museum so off we go. 

What a Great Birthday Present ! KSC not KFC

The trip from shore to shore across the panhandle state was uneventful for nearly the complete short journey.  A beacon was shining in Titusville and begging us to stop for lunch, another 'Waffle House'.  Sad to say it was nowhere near as good as our first time in Biloxi; no greeting when we came in, mixed up order, and cold ham.  Kaye was nearly in tears, maybe that first one was just a fluke?

At some point during lunch someone stole the sun.  Very big black clouds had filled the sky.  We tried to outrun them but lost the battle and ended up parked at the side of the road staring through the waves of water falling from above.   The worst was over quickly and we carried on to the RV park I had found via Google not the RV directory.  We were locked out of any beach parks due to 'Spring Break' so we picked a place about 30 miles from the Kennedy Space Centre and a little inland that sounded too good to be true for the price.

The park is called Willow Lakes and it is not really an RV park.  It is a Park Model style resort city with permanent sales and a golf course plus all the amenities like pools, entertainment halls, golf cart roads, etc.  We really felt like 'trailer trash' being guided to our 'lot' by Veronica in her jazzed up golf cart and being asked to make sure we didn't put anything on the grass or interfere with the in ground sprinklers.  These people have massive carports for their Class A Diesel Pusher Motorhomes built onto their 900+ sq ft Park Model homes.  Wow, check out their website.  Why they rent empty lots to overnight RVrs I do not know.  Our gain!

The weather was still cool after the storm so I drove to the park entrance and ended up running Kyle on the now vacant golf course path that winded its way around the outer boundary of the homes. This turned out to be 'our' spot to play fetch in the morning and evening along with a little squirrel chasing.

My birthday present was our tickets to the Kennedy Space Centre.  It was a long day filled with tons of non stop activity.  Two 3D IMAX theatre shows are included with the admission and they sell popcorn!   A fleet of 40 buses shuffles you from the main site to a massive Atlas Apollo hanger/museum out among the many launch pads doting the cape.  The drivers told really bad jokes to entertain the kids and made sure to stop the bus every time an alligator was spied in the ditch beside the road.  We stopped a lot.  Just what Kaye wanted.


The entrance corner to the main site was under heavy construction for the brand new Atlantis Space Shuttle permanent exhibit and learning centre.  Scheduled to open later this year it looks to be a very exciting project.  The actual shuttle Atlantis has already been mounted.  Schools and students will be able to come and carry out 'missions' led by real astronauts and guided by controllers and engineers.  What a great way to open young minds to a future in aeronautics.

The day ended extra special with Kaye winning $8 at Bingo and getting her feet bitten by either fire ants or grass flies.   Kyle and I snuck off to look for gators on the golf course and the three tennis balls he had not brought back.  All packed up and on our way out the next morning I just had to stop at the front gate and run Kyle one more time.  As Kyle fetched the stick I looked back to see Kaye waving frantically at me...turns out the staff that arrive at 8am told her pets were not allowed on the paths at the course, whether on a leash or not.   Too snooty for us.  Kyle left them a special present next to the 18th green.  Time to go and find the white beach coast of NW Florida.

Good-Bye Bayou, Hello Tampa Beaches

The bayou water systems were very interesting.  We had great intentions of taking an 'Air Boat' ride and firing up the GoPro camera again but due to the cool weather we kept putting it off until it was too late.  That one stays on the Bucket List! 

The down side to West Central Florida was that there was nowhere to swim Kyle and did I mention that Florida is built on swamp land and ant hills.  More on that later too.  Every time I tried to let Kyle off the leash to chase a bird, Kaye kept reminding me that he couldn't afford to lose another leg.  Next on the list was to travel a couple of hours South to the Tampa Bay area in search of beaches for Kyle.  On our drive we passed an annoying series of huge billboards advertising a 'Topless Bar', when we got there, the bar had had a fire and it had no roof left...the billboard on the opposite side of the street was for; 'Custom new Roofs'.  No time for photos, 4 lanes of traffic, such poetic justice.

If you own a dog bigger than 20lbs forget about staying in the main Tampa Bay, Clearwater or St. Petersburg area in an RV park.  We were rejected by every single one. 

All for the best.  We found a lovely little spot named Fisherman's Cove, South across the massive toll bridge that separates St. Petersburg from Palmetto and right on the water. Super dog friendly and full of fun.  We arrived on St. Patrick's day and were treated to Karaoke at the pool while we soaked in the salt water hot tub.  Gave a whole new meaning to 'bad singing' but the crowd was having a blast and the laughter was deafening.  Kyle was an instant hit as usual.   We 'Googled' dog beaches/parks and found lots.

Our first day out was to explore the long island beaches of Longboat Key. It was a chilly windy weekday but the traffic to and from the island was still crazy, we could not imagine what it would be like on a warm holiday weekend (check out the map).  Can you spell 'money', well this strip of land, totally exposed to the explosive wrath of the Gulf Ocean, would be measured in millions of dollars per foot.  However, public access to the beaches is guaranteed and at regular intervals along the main road with tons of free parking.  Our dog friendly beach had only one other couple braving the gusty wind and cool temp.  Kyle chased birds until he was pooped but the heavy surf scared him off of swimming.  We drove the complete length of the island and left via the most southern bridge.  No toll but bumper to bumper and a snail pace.  Didn't matter, it was a great day.

That evening we met everyone around us in the campground.  There were Canadians who recognized our license plate and others who saw the Canadian 'Support Our Troops' plaque on our propane tanks plus many Americans from the cold states who had visited BC and just wanted to chat.  

When we checked in I was awestruck by the Indian Ink and Water Colour pictures in the office.  I posted this on Facebook awhile back but I have to repeat it:

"When we checked into this little RV Park, the walls of the office were covered with watercolour paintings and hand drawn comic strips. I asked about them and was told that the artist lived in the old trailer right across from our site. His name is Ken and when I stopped in to see him he was trying to fix an elderly lady's bike.  I told him about my Mom's love of painting with watercolours and ink and he told me about his Dad in the navy and so on and so on. Hours passed.  A day later as Kaye and I were packing the truck for a day out, he presented us with this painting. He even looked up Canadian Air Force aircraft on the Internet and put in our CF18s. His handle is 'Tin Castle Studios'.  He lives in his little trailer full time. We bought him Costco ribs and Kaye is marinating them as a surprise.  The story gets even better. After an evening together, coupled with talking about my Mom and painting, Ken presented us with a picture of what he imagined she might look like.  It has some amazingly accurate details that I guess only true artists can conjure up!  What a couple of great treasures.


Plan your visit to this area six months in advance.  There is a state park called 'Fort DeSoto' that is located on its own island and has three large full service campsites with spaces that back directly onto the beach, one of them is even dog friendly.  Couple that with miles of open beaches, museums, groomed walking trails, etc, etc and you have paradise.  The place was booked solid, even in the cold of winter!  We spoke with a couple who have been coming for over 40 years and reserve the full time allowed in advance.  I think it was $35 a night for full services.  We (Kyle) enjoyed the dog beach and then a picnic lunch under a treed canopy.  We named this our $8.75 day at the beach, $3.75 for bridge tolls and a $5 park pass.  Wow.  I still got too much sun as the breeze masked the strength of the rays.  Did not realize until we got home and I entered the hot tub.  Ouch.

We had great intentions of visiting the museum of history and culture in Tampa but we arrived a bit late in the day to be able to do it justice so we decided on exercise instead.  The downtown riverfront of Tampa has been transformed into a beautiful walkway linking museums, the coliseum  hotels, marinas, university and of course retail shops.  Very tastefully done.  Kyle entertained everyone and Kaye snapped shots of some really great yacht names.

 This is also the land of baseball or rather, spring practice in warm weather.  A quick check on the Internet and we were able to secure $10 tickets to a Toronto Blue Jays vs Tampa Bay Rays game in Port Charlotte (about 30 miles South of Palmetto).  Our boys won with three home runs but the Rays put many men on base and it could have gotten away from the Jays if not for some clutch pitching.  Maybe the boys will have a great season this year.  We forgot our camera so you will just have to imagine the sign saying: "Please don't feed the alligators" posted beside the sidewalk at the entrance to the stadium.  Kaye had a death grip on my arm as we passed.

Jo had her permanent cast put on back in Crystal Springs and when we called to check on her, the girls hatched another plan to go shopping, so guess who drove the two hours South to visit with us for the day.  The girls attacked the Ellenton Premium Outlet Mall (Yes there might be presents for the other girls in our lives) and the guys lazed at the salt water pool.  A fabulous meal at 'The Crab Shack' was the end of a great day (ps, the clam chowder was the best I have ever had).  We said our 'Good-Byes', hugs and kisses and then started to pack up for our next adventure to the Kennedy Space Centre, just a short hop over to the East coast of the state.

Two Weeks in Crystal River, Florida

No I have not forgotten how to type, I just decided to completely relax for a few weeks, at least that was the plan.  We caught up with our close friends Rene and Jo at Crystal River in central Florida.  For the past three years they have been regulars at a beautiful RV park named Rock Crusher Canyon and it is easy to see why.

The sites are huge, tucked away in the trees and very well shaded.  Rene and Jo were located on the top of 'heart attack hill' and we were in the lowest section.  Everyone has a golf cart to get around so we finally put our bikes to good use.  The pool and hot tub are 'outdoors' but there is a complete screen structure built over them to protect against bugs.  We were not subject to bugs due to the temperature being unseasonably cold.  Translate that into; the pool was not crowded because only the Canadians were in it.

Our original plan to stay only a week was interrupted by a serious incident.  Rene and Jo dumped their motorcycles and were both injured.  Aside from the bumps and bruises they both suffered, Jo broke her wrist and required surgery which could not be performed until the swelling settled and the insurance company(s) agreed to the procedure, which they did not. Long story short, we stayed to help and provide support.  After a week Jo had a plate and screws put in via day surgery and the insurance company (Sun Life) finally agreed.  A little broken arm did not stop Jo's preaching the good life!

Silver lining to all of this is that we found out our Sun Life was only good for 40 days outside Canada and it had run out!  BC medical only pays a fraction of what the bills can be so we were off to a AAA branch pronto!  They provided excellent service, allowed us to call home and deal with our local branch and in the end we were better off buying a US plan to cover us.  Whew.  And here's why.

Check out the hole in the hedge.  That was made by an elderly lady who hit the gas instead of the brake, panicked and flew through the hedge headed right for Kaye's passenger door while we were stopped at a traffic light.  Thankfully her wheels were turned and when the truck landed on the boulevard it veered to the left (our right) and came to rest up against the stop sign for the parking lot.  The lady was shaken but not badly injured.  Kaye needed a blood pressure monitor.

This area does not have sandy beaches.  It is water ways and bayou and alligators.  But boy does it have sea food.  We accompanied our friends to a famous place called the 'Freezer', check out the menu.  Kaye had a hot dog and a giant soft pretzel (and a few shrimp)!  After dinner we attacked their market and I bought more jumbo shrimp and huge scallops for a green curry that we will talk about later.  

The best fun was the meal sharing between campsites which included many neighbours and even another couple from the Borden area who found us by fluke.  Jo used to work with them.  Small world.  They have a dog named 'BeeGees' (yes like the group) who was an instant friend with Kyle.

Wounded or not, the girls continued to shop.  Day trips went in every direction (Beall's Outlet), sometimes associated with a doctor's appointment.  Kaye scored 4E New Balance runners for me for under $50, an incredible price.  I only managed a new battery for Kaye's computer, bought online and delivered to the local UPS Store plus a new power adapter that will run all our units.

Everywhere we went people commented on us 'brothers' so it was only fitting to both wear our PEI shirts.  Our visit ended with a rock concert.  I told you the name of the park was 'Rock Crusher Canyon' and that is because it is right beside an old rock quarry that was turned into an amphitheatre many years ago.  A tribute band to Aerosmith had a charity concert on our last Saturday night.  $10 tickets for a five hour concert.  The warm up band played for two hours.  $4 for tall boy beer and $5 for the dinner special.  Wow, great ending to a couple of quiet weeks...now off to Tampa Bay area for another week and some time at the beach.