March 24,  2015         Have you ever heard the term tourist trap?   Dixie Cavern and Campground takes the  term tourist trap one step further.    It’s not only a tourist trap,  it’s also a dump!

As we are traveling north,  it has been my job to find places to stay for the night.   This time of year,  the further north you go the more difficult it is to find campgrounds or parks that are open.   We are also trying to stay as close to the highway as possible.   We are no longer “sightseeing” we are on a mission to get home.

On line,  Dixie Caverns Campground sounded decent.  It is only 1/2 mile off the highway so the negative feedback,  about hearing the highway traffic,  was understandable and expected.    We have been on the road 7 hours about 370 miles.  We’re  tired and are just looking for a safe place to spend the night .  From the road it just looked  “aged”.

At check in we were told they only had a couple of open sites.   One full hook up (50 amp),  40 ft pull through,  we will have to unhook the car  ($33.16).  Compared to what we’ve been paying for gorgeous campsites,  that may sound pricey,  but the farther northeast you go the more $$$$ you’re going to pay.  We were not upset about the price until we got into the campground.  It is an old, dirty, dilapidated, mud pit.  But it was full.   About half of the people were doing the same thing we were doing,  just passing through.   The other half lived in this squalor.  It was very sad.

Campers get a discount on tickets for the Cavern Tour.  Tickets for the Tour must be purchased at the Pottery Shop. We passed on both the Tour and visit to the Pottery Shop.

Anyone need to use the restroom?  We have the code!

We were lucky it got dark shortly after we arrived.

Tonight we couldn’t find a campground or park that was less than 30 miles off our route.  Our last night on the road we’re in the parking lot of the Hollywood Casino in Grantville, PA.  There are at least a dozen other “snowbirds” here doing the same thing we are doing.  Resting our travel weary bones.

This may seem a dreary way to end an awesome adventure,  but as David said to me this morning  “RVing isn’t about the destination,   it’s about the journey.”

Our next adventure,  in a couple of months,  will bring us back to  Virgina to Shenandoah Valley National Park,  The Virginia Creeper Trail and on to Bristol Motor Speedway  “Thunder Valley” in Bristol, Tennessee.   Stay Tuned 🙂

March 22, 2015    Independent Campgrounds  ….  Gotta take them for what they are …. you never know,  unless you’re a KOA camper.   Kampgrounds of America require certain criteria and have a very strict rating system.  You’re also paying “mucho dinero” for pristine camping.     David and I prefer “eclectic” to “pristine”.   When I called the Georgia RV Park in Commerce, Georgia  to see if they had a site available for last night, I knew before I hung up that we HAD to stay there.

I fell in love with Georgia the minute she started talking.  She has this adorable squeaky voice.  Gotta love a woman with a squeaky voice!   Everything she said made me giggle.    She was sooo much fun to talk too.   All I had asked was if there was a site available.  She told me everything there was to tell about the campground.  She told me stuff I didn’t need to know … the reason the bathrooms are so clean is because she cleans them.  She repeated the directions off the exit three times.  1.10 miles take a right, .50 miles take a right, .25 miles take a right.  It’s less than two miles off the exit.  If we get lost and call back and she doesn’t answer it’s because she’s cleaning the bathrooms.  I loved it!

It’s a “sardine can” campground.  We could only put slides out on one side and that was because no one was in the site next to us on that side.  We could have put them out on the other side, but then we’d be peeking in the neighbors windows, and vice versa.  The sites were all VERY long pull throughs with full (50 amp) hook up ($25).   Easy in, easy out, right off the highway and we didn’t have to unhook the car to back in to a site … perfect!

In the morning I got to meet many of our “seasonal/long term”  neighbors.  The photo below is of the camper that I watched two southern gentleman, carry two huge overstuffed living room chairs through the door and out to their pick up truck.   I knew they were southern  gentleman,  because they said “mornin’ ma’am” even though they were grunting and struggling to get the first chair through the door.  I couldn’t believe it when they went back in and got the second one.  I wanted to take a photo when they were cramming the chair through the door,  but I thought that would be rude.

Seasonal and long term campers often go all out decorating their patios. When you camp at “pristine” campgrounds that have lots of “rules”  you miss out on some extraordinary “sites”.

We plan on coming back to Commerce, GA.  The Atlanta Dragway is in Commerce and NHRA has a National event here.  It’s on our list of to do’s  🙂

March 22, 2015     Leaving the area is bittersweet.  We are ready to start heading North,  but the area is so nice we could easily spend a few more days here.    Mother Nature  makes it easier for us to leave.  It is foggy and just started raining.   As we drive out we have none of the gorgeous views we had coming in.  She’s challenging us to come back another time 🙂

Here comes the beautiful two mile bridge.

RVing is a wonderful way to travel.   You can see so much (when it’s not foggy) and be very flexible,  but it’s not for everyone.  To do the kind of RVing that we do you have to like driving and be a confident and skilled driver.  I have taken the RV on trips with the kids, no David.   I can drive it,  but don’t enjoy it.  I drive it like it’s a tractor trailer truck.   Three hours of driving and I’m exhausted.  David drives it like it’s a Mini Cooper.   This morning I had a craving for an Egg McMuffin.  David pulled the RV right in and around the McDonalds.  He would have gone through the drive through,  if the overhang was higher.   I would have pulled into a rest area off the highway and made my own.

The kind of RVing we do can also be a LOT of work.  If you only go to RV  type places with full hook ups,  it’s a piece of cake.   If you “rough it”  it means more work and conservation.   Using a dump station STINKS!   I don’t like to “dump”, but I  know how to when I have to.   David is really good at it,  quick and accurate,  so it’s best when he does  it 🙂

RVing also lets you being lots of “stuff’ with you, so you can do more without having to rent.  It also means having to load,  unload and clean all this “stuff”.    It helps that David has the energy of a thirty year old.  I am not tall enough or strong enough to lift the bicycles on or off the rack.  The inflatable kayak is compact,  but very heavy.  Even hooking up and unhooking the car takes muscle.

A sign that it was time to head home was when David did not want to go kayaking at Fort Pickens.  Not that he didn’t want to kayak, he’s just tired of lugging, unpacking, inflating, deflating,  packing and lugging the inflatable.  I carry the paddles and put them together, they break down into four pieces 🙂

When we get home he is going to try and figure out how to take our hard kayaks with us.  It’s this or buy another inflatable.  E T has gotten so big, the three of us no longer fit in one kayak.  She loves kayaking, not swimming. She likes to sit in the kayak and be paddled around.  Reminds me of another daughter I have 🙂

We just stopped at a Shell gas station in Alabama (exit 93 off I 65) $2.09 a gallon.  We took 60 gallons.

E T is an awesome RVer.  Today we drove 9 1/2 hours and drove 417 miles today.

We stopped for the night at the Georgia RV Park in Commerce,  Georgia.  Ironically,  it’s where NHRA has it’s National Event every year at the Atlanta Dragway in Commerce.  It is on our list of drag races to attend.   The campground is not the “cats meow” of campgrounds,  but it’s 1 1/2 miles off the highway and full hookup (50 amp) for $25 a night.   It’s still raining.  I hope it stops by  tomorrow afternoon.  My hope is to stop in Damascus,  Virgina  and ride my favorite biking trail, The Virginia Creeper Trail.   Another good day of traveling 🙂

March 21, 2015     Happy Spring!    Today is our last day before we head north.  What haven’t we done or seen yet?  We’ve already decided that there is too much, so we have to come back.  Today is just an extension of yesterday.

I always tell people the first thing we do when we get to a new State or National park is head to the Visitor Center.  Especially in National Parks, there is usually a film about “what’s happened and/or what’s happening”.   We did what we usually do here, but they tricked us.  The Visitor center here is the Gift/Book shop … no movie … they offered the self guided tour booklet (free) and the Ranger guided tour (free).   So we thought that was it.   Well,  I have been bugging David that I wanted to go to the museum (free).    Guess what’s there?   We see the movie and now I need to go back and take a few more photos.  I totally dissed the Battery Peninsula, because it’s just an ugly black wall.  Wrong, it is actually a fort within a fort and FULL of history.

Next we head back out in a new direction on the Florida National Scenic Trail.  I actually get photos of a Mom and Dad Osprey preparing a nest for their offspring.

Then we bring E T back to the RV.  It is getting hot and she does not do well in the heat of the day.  We head out on our bikes to explore some of the marsh area of the trail.

Next on our list is to walk to the farthest point west on the beach (Davids pick).

Next Stop Georgia  🙂

March 20, 2015       I thought today was going to be “one of those days”.  I wasn’t awake 15 minutes, when I spilled a whole glass of grape juice on the bed.  ARRRRRGGGHHH!  While I scrubbed the mattress David took the bed clothes to the laundry at the General Store (two washers and two dryers).  The day could only get better … and it did.

Yesterday, I found out that a portion of the 1,400 mile Florida National Scenic Trail,  which goes from the Everglades to Pensacola Bay is right in our back yard.  We hopped on our bikes and rode the trail and visited several more of the Forts Batteries,  before heading over to the Fort for our Ranger Tour.  The gun at Battery Cooper came from the Smithsonian Institute.

These are the guns at Battery 234.   You can actually walk right up and touch everything associated with the Fort.   I got a little nervous watching some kids, at some of the places that you’re allowed to climb up to or in to.  I didn’t hear any kids complaining they were bored.  Our tour guide told us that in the summer the Rangers do snorkeling tours.  They have special tours for kids.  Oh, all the equipment is provided.  Sounded like fun to me.

There Here!!!

We found the most FUN restaurant. Flounder’s in Pensacola Beach.  Pet Friendly and Kids of all ages Friendly.  Live music,  volleyball, sandy beach, pier,  playscape, pool tables … it is an entertainment center/restaurant.   It was wild and fun.  I wish it was a chain.  E T made lots of friends and played in the sand,  while we had dinner.   If you are ever in the area check it out … Oh! The food was GREAT!

Today,  I was thinking that Pensacola Beach is running neck and neck with my favorite place to visit, The Florida Keys.  I asked David,   “Are the water colors here more beautiful than in the Keys?”   He said  “Yes,  because there is more water.”  That may sound funny,  but it’s a combination of water and sandy beaches.  In the Keys there are very few sandy beaches, it’s mostly coral.    I also,  used to think,  that the only place that had magnificent sunsets was The Florida Keys.  Not so 🙂

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March 18-21, 2015     I asked David the other day if my blog was getting boring.  I seem to write a lot of the same adjectives over and over …. beautiful,  fabulous, breathtaking, awesome, thrilling.  I should have brought a dictionary so I could “mix it up” a little more.  Other than our stay in “Hell Hole Homestead”  our trip has been VERY scenic.

Here I go again … Driving to Fort Pickens  was thrilling.  Bridges … First you cross the two mile Pensacola Bay Bridge.  Next you cross the “toll bridge” across the Santa Rosa Sound.   If  you like bridges and water views,  it’s like being a kid in a candy store.  Beaches .. How can one beach be more different or beautiful than the next.  We have heard that the Santa Rosa beaches are the most beautiful in the world.  We had not even made it to the gate of Fort Pickens National Park and the views of the beaches from the RV are beautiful,  beautiful, and more beautiful!  Another nice thing about traveling in our RV is the giant windshield and being up so much higher than in a car.  We have had views of the Gulf on one side and a Bay on the other more often than not this past week.  Here we go again!

There are 200 campsites in 5 loops.  From what we’ve seen about half are tent sites.  We have water and electric (50 amp).  Check out this site … $13 a night.  E T has an awesome “yard” to play in.

Getting back to my asking David if my blog is getting boring, he said no, it just seemed like you had more funny stories in the beginning.  Well, we  haven’t had a lot of funny things happen lately.   I do have this one story and there will not be a photo attached.  This is an “Adult” story so  Parental discretion is advised.

I like to set “goals” or “challenges” for myself.  This trip I wanted to see an armadillo,  get a photo of an awesome sand castle and NOT see any snakes.  I haven’t seen an armadillo, but met two people who did, I know it’s possible.  I got a cute photo of a sand castle some children had built and E T stole the feather from it’s top,  cute but I’m looking for awesome.  Unfortunately,  we did see a snake, but it was small and non threatening,  so I’m still debating on if it counts or not.

The other day,  I was having some alone time and taking a walk on the beach.  There was not a sole to be seen in any direction.   Up ahead of me,  I spot a SANDCASTLE of ENORMOUS size.  Is this real or just a mirage?   I’m thinking Cinderella’s Castle …   moats,  draw bridge,  widows peak.  I am excited.   I start taking photos from a distance.      As I get closer,  I take a few more photos.  Then I get closer and something doesn’t look quite right.   No, it’s not poop!   As I walk around the  CASTLE I realize … OMG  this is a GIANT Penis!  I’m not talking phallic symbol,  this is the whole “kit in ka boodle” EVERYTHING in DETAIL.  I looked around to make sure nobody was looking and took a photo,  just in case nobody would believe me  😉

Moving on … Fort Pickens is AWESOME!  It is HUGE!  We rode our bikes and it was a good thing we did.  You could never cover the whole Fort in one day on foot.  Today we did a self guided tour.  Pamphlets with numbers and brief descriptions of what your seeing are available as you enter the Fort.  Tomorrow we are going back for a Ranger led tour.  Even if you’re not a history buff,  it is very interesting.  A quick example .. the Fort was built with lots of arches and double arches.  Why?  To minimize sinkage in the sand. The construction on the Fort began in 1829.   How did they know to build using arches?

The afternoon is spent at the Dog Beach … Where else??

Our last walk of the evening … to see the Sunset over the dunes.  Another great day   🙂

March 18, 2015     Breathtaking!  Simply Breathtaking!  We’re coming back!

This was ONLY a practice.  The Blue Angels came in to Pensacola this week and are only based here for a few months.   While here they practice on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.  Spectators are invited and on Wednesdays,  after practice,  the Blue Angel Pilots do an autograph session in the museum.

There were over 10,000 spectators today.  There was plenty of ooohhhing and aaahhhing going on.   I took some photos,  but most of my time was spent oooohhhing and aaahhhing!    Some of the maneuvers are so spectacular,  that it is hard to believe your eyes.    There are times that their wings are 18 inches apart.  I found it thrilling!

David told me that he took seeing them off his bucket list.  I said “I didn’t know they were on it”.  He said they weren’t until today,  but he was so glad he saw them that he put them on and took them off.  I’m taking that as his way of saying how much he enjoyed seeing the demonstration 🙂

March 17, 2015    Happy Saint Patrick’s Day!   The luck of the Irish was with us today.   #1 It’s an  “open window” day!   #2 After another “reservation glinch” in Big Lagoon (we only had one night there, not the three we thought), we were lucky enough to get into Gulf State Park,  for not one,  but two nights.

We camped here two years ago and loved it.  David had tried to get a reservation for us for this year but they were booked solid for the entire month of March.  They must have had a cancellation 🙂   This is the “crem de la crem” of campgrounds.  This makes the top of the line KOA campground look like an  amateur.  It is like a little community  …. swimming pool,  marina,  recreation complex,  nature center,  amphitheater,  education building, general store,  laundramat with 20 washers and dryers (I did laundry this morning) …  the list goes on and on.  There are 496 sites and size wise they average 75′ by 75′.    My favorite “amenities” are the bird condos scattered throughout the park.    All this for $33.58 a night (full hook up).

This is the home of the Hugh S. Branyon Backcountry Trail.  These are paved hiking/biking trails that cover miles in and around the park.   Today we rode our bikes on the Rosemary Dunes trail.   It takes you through an alligator habitat.  Yes, we saw an alligator.  It was only a couple feet long and not scary at all.   Check out the Rest Room on the trail,  pretty cushy!

Luck  #3  Since our last visit they have added an off leash  “Dog Park”.  This is not your typical dog park,  it is on Lake Shelby and has at least 300 ft of lake front.  If you’re wondering if E T  had fun, check out these photos.

When we arrived at the park, Warrior the Mastiff was there.  Then Magic, the lab/boxer came.  They were E T’s favorite friends.  A 19 year old husky came with his 1 1/2 year old sibling.  It was pretty neat how none of the dogs jumped or tried to get frisky with the 19 year old.  They just let him sniff.  It was “doggie respect” for the elderly.  Pretty neat!

David loves oysters and two years ago he had the “best oysters he’s ever eaten” at Bubbas in Orange Beach,  Alabama (next town over from Gulf Shores).  Bubba’s is not pet friendly.  Since we’d left E T alone all afternoon while we went biking,  we wanted to take her out with us.  I went online to www.Bringfido.com and found “pet friendly” Cosmos Restaurant on Canal Rd in Orange Beach.  David got his oysters,  E T got hugs and kisses from three adorable little boys and I got a wonderful surprise,  there was a fabulous musician playing Jazz on the patio.   Yes, we were able to sit outside and eat.  Hurray!

Notice the paw print over the restaurant name … it was named after the owners dog 🙂

Just a side note,  just a block or two away from Cosmos on Canal Rd there is a “pet on a leash” park, Orange Beach Waterfront Park at Wolf Bay. Our plan had been to go for a walk there after dinner.  We had driven by and it looked very nice.  It got dark before we finished dinner.  It’s on the list for next time 🙂

March 16, 2015    Up at 6:30 a.m.  Our site for the night was in a prime sunset/sunrise spot.  It’s not just birds that I like taking photos of 🙂

Big Lagoon State Park is small area wise,  but BIG when it comes to natural beauty.   I am going to humble myself and say I have been pretty tough on the gnats and mosquito.  We have chosen to hang out in marshes and lagoons on hot humid sticky icky days.   The gnats and mosquito,  have I mentioned some of these mosquito are the size of a quarter,  were here first.  I still think they are nasty,  but will stop dissing them on principle.   Besides we stopped at Walmart  yesterday and stocked up on bug spray 🙂

The sunrise was well worth getting up for early.

We are 3.8 miles from the National Museum of Naval Aviation in Pensacola and have been told  “do not miss it”.    I am impressed!!!  If I lived closer I would be here OFTEN with the grands.  David and I had great fun climbing into the simulators and letting our imaginations go wild.    Some people will never grow up!  We went to the IMAX Theatre and saw “The Magic of Flight”  a documentary about how much scientists and engineers have learned about flight through the study of birds and how through these studies they were able to acclimate both the planes and aviators with such great success.  The documentary was narrated by Tom Selleck, who I think has a very “nice”  voice and  features  the Blue Angels who are mechanical genius’  both mentally and physically.

Included in your FREE admission are a Trolley ride out into the “restricted area” to see the planes that are being worked on and the hangers where the planes are prepped for flight.  There are also,  guided tours inside the museum,  which were awesome for people  like me that had no concept of the intensity of support,  influence and importance  that military branches,  outside the Air Force, had on air protection and security.  The Museum does honor,  to not only the Navy, but the Coast Guard and Marines.

There were flight training sessions going on while we were there and we got another sneak peek at the Blue Angels.  Wednesday morning we are going back for an “official” Blue Angels training session.

March 15, 2015     I am about to toot the horn and not have it blow too hard,  one more time for Florida State Parks.  How can such magnificently beautiful parks have such annoying bugs.  For crying out loud it’s only March.  The only time I can remember gnats and mosquito’s this bad,  in Connecticut,  is maybe on a hot,  humid August night.  Tonight is a gorgeous night.  There is a slight breeze and cool.  It would be the perfect night to keep the windows open,  but the darn no see ums,  seem to have a way of finding their way through even the finest  screens.   If you’re thinking of moving to Florida,  whatever you plan on saving in taxes you’ll spend on bug spray,  unless you plan on spending all your time in air conditioning and your money on the electric bill.

That being said … We arrived at Big Lagoon just in time to see the Blue Angels fly by.  The Ranger at check in told us to keep our eyes on the sky,  the Blue Angels were coming home today and might just do a fly by.   No photo,  I was walking E T at the time.  She had just spent seven hours in the RV with only one “pit” stop.

I hope to have some awesome photos tomorrow.   We are going to wake up for the sunrise and then  we are going over to the Air Force Base.   A different kind of bird!!!

We had a beautiful sunset tonight.   I think these are some of the best  “over land” sunset photos I’ve taken in awhile.

This is a small park,  but very pretty.   It has an awesome lookout,  that from the top,  you can see the whole park.  Most of the walkways here are boardwalks over the lagoons.   All are pet friendly.   We are all getting some great exercise 🙂