Fri, Mar 31, KOA, W. Memphis, AR, to St. Louis:  Well, we made it home safe and sound. Left W. Memphis this morning at 9:00. The drive to Sikeston, MO, is quite boring except for the crop dusters. These guys are crazy! I would love to pull over somewhere and watch them for a while, but we always are pulling the fifth wheel. They fly so low—below tree level and so close to the ground. There were several of them out there today and it was quite entertaining. At one point this guy flew right over the top of us so low I thought he was going to hit us. Wish I hadn’t been driving so I could have tried to take a picture. We stopped in Sikeston to eat and fuel up and then Mike started driving. We pulled into the storage area at 2:30 and emptied the refrigerator and were home by 3:00. It was 49 when we got here. No beautiful palm trees gently swaying in the tropical breezes (sigh). But I’m glad we’re home. Our next trip will be to Bogota, Columbia, the last week in June. 

Old Court House--St. Louis, MO.

Thu, Mar 30, Birmingham South RV Park, Birmingham, to KOA W. Memphis, AR:  Decided to leave this morning after checking out the Weather Channel at 7:00 this morning. Looked like we could sneak in between storms. So, I said, “let’s leave NOW.” We got on the road by 8:45. I was hoping I65 would be better this time, and it was until we drove through Birmingham and the road got way worse. But that was okay because I22 was now connected to I65. Before we had to take this detour which took us through this iffy part of town and took probably an hour to get on I22. So, now we were able to get right on I22 off I65. I22 is a pretty drive through rural Alabama and Mississippi. Good road, too, until we crossed over into Mississippi. Then is disintegrated a bit. The weather was okay—cloudy but no rain. But the closer we got to Memphis, the windier it got. We stopped around Tupelo and Mike took over driving. I was a nervous wreck by the time we finally pulled into the KOA in W. Memphis. The wind was pretty bad. But the sun came out and all was good. After we got set up I poured a glass of wine. The wind is still rocking us pretty good. But tomorrow we leave for Home Sweet Home. I am so looking forward to getting home. Can’t wait to see Laura, Tim, and especially Andrew. I have so much to do when we get home. I just hope we get there in one piece. Low 70s here in W. Memphis.

Bridge going over the Mississippi. I hate this bridge. Thankfully, Mike was driving at this point.

Wed, Mar 29, KOA Tallahassee East to Birmingham South RV Park, Birmingham, AL:  A long driving day today. We left Tallahassee at 8:00, well let’s say 7:00 because we gained an hour and are now on Central Time (yay!). Stopped at a Flying J to fuel up and have breakfast. This Flying J is just west of Tallahassee, so I continued driving. I drove for 3 hours and then Mike took over. We got here at 2:30 and were set up by 3:00. A really nice day today, although this morning there was a dense fog alert in Tallahassee. Thought we’d be delayed leaving, but it lifted by the time we got to the Flying J, only to reveal cloudy skies. But skies cleared and it was really nice by the time we got to Birmingham. Unfortunately, the severe weather is supposed to roll through tonight or tomorrow morning. Not sure what we’ll do. Supposed to leave for W. Memphis. We’ll see. 84 today.

Beautiful Jupiter lighthouse.

This homeless dog was living in the landscaping around the Denny Restaurant at the Flying J in Tallahassee. Denny's employees kept food and water outside for him. He wouldn't let anyone near him. So he couldn't be caught. Apparently, someone dumped him there and he was waiting for them to come back (sigh).

When we were in having breakfast this morning I asked the waitress if they'd seen the dog lately. She said they hadn't seen him in a couple of years. Hope someone gave him a home. Wishful thinking probably.

Tue, Mar 28, KOA, Wildwood, FL, to KOA Tallahassee East:  Left this morning again at 10:00 and stopped at the truck stop next door to the KOA to fuel up. Also picked up some milk and bananas. Got on I75 for just a few miles and took Rt. 27 west going through rural Florida. Glad to get off I75. There was a lot of traffic, and with 3 lanes you get people zipping from one lane to the other all the time. I drove to Chiefland where we stopped for something to eat. Pulled into a Walmart parking lot. Well, I had to back out of the first entrance I tried because the fifth wheel tires were going to hit a big curb/storm sewer. So, backed back out and tried another entrance. Had a couple of burgers and Mike took over driving. A lot of this area is big horse country. Huge horse farms with acres of lush pasture, beautiful horses munching contentedly, huge stables, and everything surrounded by pristine white or brown board fencing—all with elaborate electronic-gated entrances. Lots of money in this area. Anyway, we arrived and were set up by 2:30. Hope to get out tomorrow early to beat some severe weather heading to the Birmingham area. 84 today and sunny.

The beach on Jupiter Island.

Pelican flying over.

Mon, Mar 27, Jonathan Dickenson SP, Jupiter, FL, to KOA, Wildwood, FL:  Left Jupiter this morning at 10:00. I drove until 11:30 or so when we stopped at a service area on the Florida Turnpike for fuel and food. Mike took over driving and we arrived in Wildwood and were set up by 3:00. Wildwood is just south of Ocala and it was 85 when we got here. And it’s supposed to be in the 90s in a couple of days. But we’re here for one night only, not even unhooking. Keeping an eye on the weather north of us. There is severe weather working its way across the country. Just hope we can make a break for it in between storms. Otherwise, we’ll lay over in W. Memphis. Tomorrow we’ll be in east Tallahassee for one night. 85 here in Wildwood.

Blowing Rock Preserve--Jupiter Island

Blowing Rock preserve--Jupiter Island

Sun, Mar 26, Jonathan Dickenson SP, Jupiter, FL:  Took a cruise on the Loxahatchee River this morning—right at noon actually. They take you down river to Jupiter Inlet and then return. A pretty day for it. Didn’t see any wildlife to speak of, but a lot of nice homes. After the cruise we picked up some burgers for lunch and relaxed the rest of the day. This park is quite big, and our favorite. It used to be a US Army Signal Corps base during WWII. After the war it was ceded to the state and became Jonathan Dickenson SP. There are a lot of bike trails in here—both off-road and paved. You can canoe or kayak the Loxahatchee. Hiking trails abound, and you can even go horseback riding. And there are even equestrian camp sites in here. We stayed in one of the equestrian sites a few years ago when we met some Canadian friends here. Had the whole camp site to ourselves. We leave tomorrow for the trip home. One-night stops all the way. Hopefully we won’t run into any severe weather. Low 80s today and beautiful.

One of the homes along the river.

I like this one better.

An osprey nest.

Ricky Fowler's home. Not crazy about this one.

Sat, Mar 25, Jonathan Dickenson SP, Jupiter, FL:  Late morning we drove over to the Blowing Rock Preserve on Jupiter Island. This is one of the things I love about Jupiter Island. Even though this is home to the mega rich and multi-million-dollar mansions abound, there is still a lot of undeveloped land. Blowing Rock Preserve is one example. The beach here is unique because there are these rocky outcroppings near the water—part of a strand of Anastasia limestone. We walked a little trail that used to be A1A and then returned via the beach. I got my shoes wet and full of sand. A beautiful day for this little sojourn. Drove out the Hobe Sound entrance and had lunch at Scooters again. Back to our site and sat outside reading for a while. Burt Reynolds lives just across the road from the entrance to this park. All you can see is the gate and a drive which disappears into the foliage. His house is on the water, which is part of the intercostal. Upper 70s today with a pretty good breeze.

The beach at Blowing Rock Preserve.

The unique rocky outcroppings.

This wonderful little trail used to be part of A1A.

Beautiful man, beautiful picture!

The beach looking north. No sign of human habitation...no high-rise condos, no homes visible at all. Love it!

Love the sea grape!

The Hobe Sound entrance to Jupiter Island, lined with fig trees. Tiger Woods compound is down at this end of the island.