Jonathan Dickinson State Park, Jupiter, FL:  Awoke to the pitter patter of rain this morning.  Nasty most of the morning under a dark sky and lots of wind.  Headed to the ball game around noon and it’s still looking iffy.  But by the time the game started it had broken up and started clearing.  Not an exciting game.  We left at the top of the 9^th when it was tied 1-1.  But the Cardinals won it 2-1.  The most exciting part of the game was when an errant raccoon was loose in the lower level of the stadium.  We thought they were doing the “wave” as people would jump up screaming and kept moving as the little raccoon progressed through the seats.  Just a little raccoon people, not a grizzly.  Some “trapper” guy finally got the poor frightened raccoon.  Drove back and topped off the gas tank.  We cancelled our reservations at Sebastian and are going straight to Clermont because our Canadian friends we were going to meet there had to go home early.  So, tomorrow we leave for Clermont.  Only about 160 miles.  82 today.

Roger Dean Stadium--Jupiter, FL

Cards at bat--before the raccoon livened things up

Jonathan Dickinson State Park, Jupiter, FL:  Actually got going early this morning and got the laundry and grocery shopping out of the way by noon.  Came back and put everything away.  Got talking to the couple across from us who are French Canadians from Quebec. Nice people.  They’re traveling with another couple from Quebec.  Went back to the Sugar Cane Bar and Grill for lunch.  82 today.

Estate on Jupiter Island

Jonathan Dickinson State Park, Jupiter, FL:  Just hung out today.  Didn’t do much of anything, except read my current book.  Put a pork roast in the oven covered with an applesauce/mustard/honey concoction which turned out really good.  Low 80s today.

Blowing Rock Beach, Jupiter Island, FL

Jonathan Dickinson State Park, Jupiter, FL:  Another beautiful day.  Mike planned on watching a basketball game this afternoon.  So I thought I’d go see a movie.  Ended up taping the basketball game and we both went to see “An Act of Valor” about Navy SEALS.  Definitely worth going to see.  85 today.

Jupiter Light

Beautiful water in the channel today.

My kind of boat--floating tiki bar!

Yacht waiting for the draw bridge.

Jonathan Dickinson State Park, Jupiter, FL:  After breakfast this morning we headed over to the stadium to get tickets for a baseball game—the 2011 World Champion St. Louis Cardinals to be exact.  By an amazing stroke of luck we were actually able to get tickets!  We’re going to a game on Wednesday.  They play the NY Mets.  Should be a good game.  After securing our tickets we headed over to the Sugar Cane Bar and Grill.  A woman told us about this place last night while we were having drinks at Jetty’s.  There’s a guy playing the piano and singing Irish songs.  Since it’s St. Patty’s day and we have on our green, we went in search of this place.  It’s part of the Jupiter Condominium complex and was pretty easy to find.  We got a table at the outside bar by the pool, ordered lunch and people watched.  A seemingly great community.  Everyone knew everyone. This piano-playing guy was drawing a rather large crowd of people all decked out in green.  Some pretty outlandish outfits were on display.  And boy were they drinking!  A fun group.  We listened to him for an hour or so and then went back home.  Lunch, it turns out, was very good.  A beautiful day in the mid-80s.  

 Cacti are blooming all over the park.

Everglades National Park to Jonathan Dickinson State Park, Jupiter, FL:  Left the Everglades (reluctantly) this morning at 10:00.  Another great stay here.  I drove for the first time since December.  Taking the Florida’s Turnpike, drove past greater Miami, Ft. Lauderdale, Boca Raton, and Palm Beach. Stopped at the West Palm Beach service area for lunch and Mike took over driving.  Arrived in Jonathan Dickinson State Park and were set up by 2:30.  We’re directly across Hwy. 1 from Burt Reynolds’ place.  Headed out to our favorite restaurant for dinner, but it’s closed and has been bought out by Bubba Gump Shrimp Company.  OMG!  Went next door to Jetty’s and had an appetizer and drinks.  Had some great fun with some people from New Jersey at the table next to us.  Back home to our site and watched TV.  I’d rather be in the Everglades.  At least Jupiter has a lot of open areas dedicated to wildlife preservation.  They haven’t built high-rises or shopping strips on every space available.

Our site at Jonathan Dickinson State Park

Thu, 3/15/12:
Everglades National Park:  Our last full day in the Everglades.  Weather has been almost perfect—warm days and crisp, cool nights.  A couple pulled in yesterday afternoon in a cab over with a semi chassis pulling a huge, triple-axle cargo trailer.  This cargo trailer has an elevator in it.  Their two-seater convertible was on the bottom and their boat was in the upper compartment.  Not sure what else they had in there.  Pretty impressive though.  I can just imagine the path of destruction I would leave pulling that rig.  Around noon we decided to go get some lunch and then go for an airboat ride.  There’s a little grill just outside the park with picnic tables.  No inside seating to speak of.  We ordered sandwiches and ate them in the truck, since it was starting to rain—with thunder rumbling off in the distance.  So we ate our sandwiches and nixed the airboat ride.  Back to the park and inquired about the Florida panthers.  We see the signs for them around our campground.  They have seen them crossing the road in our vicinity in the wee hours of the morning.  Wish we could see one.  We topped off the water tank for the last time and put the hose away.  Played Aggravation for a while.  Mike actually won for a change.  Tomorrow we leave for Jonathan Dickinson State Park in Jupiter, FL.  

View out our back window

An example of the challenges of an off-trail hike in the Everglades.