Driving the Camper to Florida: Winter 2022

3 January 2022,

Vergennes, Vermont

-Marc. Icy roads and winter conditions delayed the departure by one day. Our E-Pro travel trailer, that we have named Elsie, sat parked on the street in front of our new home in Vergennes. Our street was still covered by some snow when I pulled away from the curb at 10:00 with temperatures still in the twenties.

Although the GPS navigation system on our new Chevy Silverado indicated it would be a 6 1/2 trip to the campground at Harrisburg, PA (near Hershey, PA), it took some 7 1/2 hours to actually get there and fortunately they were just about to close up for the night. There was no snow below Saratoga Springs, NY.

4 January 2022

Harrisburg East Campground, PA

-Marc. Great conditions on the roads this morning after enjoying breakfast at a local diner that had enough parking for the truck-trailer rig. I am still adjusting to the size limitations and making sure that I can fill the diesel tank before the day’s travels. I started out heading to Fredericksburg, VA but altered the plan when the Campground in Fredericksburg called to say they were closed due to a winter storm that had left their access road closed by a fallen tree, cut off power, and made the roads impassable. I scrambled looking for another campground calling KOA (Kampgrounds of America) who indicated that no campgrounds were open in Maryland or Virginia. I was also told that Route 95 was closed due to a 40 miles backup. I called Craig Lewis a Vermont friend who is an expert on traveling by RV. Within minutes he had me going to a campground in Greensboro, North Carolina by way of West Virginia. The roads were fine West of the Blue Ridge Mountains. My only issue came in crossing over the Blue Ridge to get to Greensboro. The GPS Navigation routed me through secondary roads with switchbacks once I reached the mountains. I put the Chevy in 4 wheel drive and just drove on with no mishaps. Lesson learned not to trust the GPS Navigation. What was supposed to be a 3 hours drive from Harrisburg to Fredericksburg became another 7 1/2 hour drive to Greensboro. Fortunately I again arrived before the campground closed.

Snow on the Western side of the Blue Ridge Mountains: Highway #81

5 January 2022

Greensboro Campground, NC

-Marc. Short run of only 3 hours to get to Huntington Beach State Park. This is a wonderful place of Forests and campsites near a pristine Atlantic beach. Full hook ups and friendly park rangers make this a repeat stop for our return North in the Spring. Although I only spent one night here I really enjoyed the hiking trails and a special visit from Craig Lewis. Craig and I went out to dinner at a Myrtle Beach restaurant nearby.

Sunrise at Huntington Beach

6 January 2022

Huntington Beach State Park, SC

-Marc. This was another short travel day of only 4 hours to reach Savannah South KOA at Richmond Hill, GA. My campsite was beside a beautiful lake and included a pier and all the camping amenities you would ever need. The site even had a gas grill. I took advantage of the great water pressure here to wash all of the salt and dirt off of the truck and camper. Since this was only a one night stop I limited my explorations to finding the laundry. I did hike around the Lake and was impressed by the large number of birds here, especially white egrets and swans.

This KOA had everything including a multitude of egrets and swans.

7 January 2022

Tomoka State Park, Ormond Beach, FL

-Marc. Another short 3 hour travel day to arrive in a rather wilderness style campground. I was surprised to find this gem so close to the Florida beach scene (perhaps 7 miles away). This park has incredible trees consisting of live oaks, slash pine and palm. The campground is large but each site is well set in the trees and some even have river water access. The road dirt roads a well maintained and the Park has a very well stocked general store called the Tomoka Outpost. It has a small marina renting canoes and kayaks with both docks and a ramp for fishermen.

The former local inhabitants of this wonderful place.

I spent a week at Tomoka State Park. The place is full of a wilderness atmosphere and well placed campsites. It was also well located to allow exploration of the area including visiting another State Park that had no vacancies for campers: Blue Springs State Park.

Ponce Lighthouse and Inlet. We anchored Lucy III behind the Inlet last year.

Blue Springs State Park and the manatees came next.

I also visited Cape Canaveral National Seashore.

For all of its race to the Moon and the Stars atmosphere with the Kennedy Space Center next door, this Park has a lot of wild things including wild oranges and even an armadillo.

There was also time to see some other sights and to do a sailing puzzle I received at Christmas.

14 January 2022

Fort Pierce West KOA, FL

Marc- Three hours on highway #95, I arrived at a new KOA campground. Great facilities once again but this time they clearcut the trees. Oh no! Luckily I got a campsite on the edge where there were mature trees remaining. The campground developer regrets removing all of the trees now that he has to plant new trees at a certain expense. I spent my first few days here exploring the area for further investigation when Sue arrives.

. A Ponce Inlet Pelican here to greet me on my first day here.

A wood Stork to greet me momentarily on the second day at the campground lake.

January 20, 2022

Since Sue has arrived we have had several excursions. Yesterday we enjoyed a great lunch at the Manatee Island restaurant alongside Ft. Pierce Inlet. We met up with cousins Armand, Betty and their daughter Michelle who updated us on life in Vero Beach. Today we went over to Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse Park and Jonathan Dickinson State Park. The view from the top of the lighthouse was terrific and the hike in the park fun as well. We particularly enjoyed the turquoise waters here. Sue spotted a manatee swimming at beach in the Inlet. Our next stop was an excellent lunch at The Blowing Rocks Marina/Tiki bar. Finally, we explored Dickinson State Park on a few hiking trails along the rather murky Loxahachee River. I spotted a gopher tortoise, hawks nesting, and a small lizard.

Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse

Views of Jupiter Inlet from the lighthouse

Knicker Nuts

ICW Tiki bar

hawks

Gopher Tortoise

21 JANUARY 2022

FT. MYERS / PINE ISLAND KOA HOLIDAY, Pine Island, FL

Marc- We had a three hour drive on secondary roads from Ft. Pierce to Pine Island. The terrain was flat and mostly cattle ranches with some orange groves nearer each coast. We could have been in Kansas in as much as everything was flat. Civilization returned when we reached Route 75 on the West Coast of Florida. Our first big town was Cape Coral, a large retirement community with an intricate canal system enabling many homeowners to keep a boat in their back yard.

We arrived at Pine Island and settled into a nice corner campsite. Unfortunately there are no trees on the site but there are some trees nearby and two man made ponds. Our first excursion was to the new Publix supermarket here. We later took the bikes out and visited the southern end of the island. Our turnaround point was a small public beach. Although this is a rather large island it has few beaches since it is in a bay protected from the Gulf of Mexico by Sanibel and Captiva Islands (islands with phenomenal beaches). The bike ride was fun and good exercise.

Ibis welcomes us.

22 January 2022

Marc- Explorations by car today to the northern end of the island revealed large tropical tree nurseries, cattle ranches and finally beach houses, piers, a harbor and a seafood restaurant. The view to the North was open on Charlotte Harbor. Then we drove to the mainland to meet up with our friend Roberta in Ft. Myers and we had lunch at a harbor front seafood restaurant. The oysters were terrific. Roberta also took us over to visit her possible new home and we walked around the extensive grounds admiring the flowers and a few birds that dropped in.

Flaming Torch aka Bromeliad

Common Moorhen Duck

23 January 2022

Marc- Very cool for here this morning at 41 degrees. I still went out for a run around the campground. We hardy northerners then ate breakfast (French toast) outside at the picnic table on our deck. Our outside grill and fridge come in handy.

Sue and I next tackled some hiking trails at the GALT Nature Preserve. Nice trails and home to at least one great blue heron and a bald eagle. Bald eagle nests are known to exist here. Then we did the New York Times Crossword puzzle on Zoom with Brian and Michael Gilmartin family, and Ann and George Williams. Brian is in E. Hardwick, VT, and the others are in Tucson.