Sunday, Feb. 16

We are still meeting up with Chad and Lais on Feb. 18 in Daytona, but we’ve made it to Florida a couple of days too early. Not having reservations anywhere until the 18th, we put in a few hours of driving and ended up at the Live Oak Walmart for the night.

Monday, Feb.16

Carol found a site for tonight at Mike Roess SP in Keystone, FL., less than two hours away. We were able to check in early, so we got to take a long hike after lunch. The trail took us through a forest of charred pines. Worried that they were all going to die, we learned that controlled burns are done throughout the south to kill off the undergrowth and allow the pines to thrive. It does not harm the trees. We started noticing the heat and humidity rising as the afternoon wore on. By the time we got back to the Ham, we were both soaked with sweat.

Tuesday, Feb.18

Ormond Beach is just north of Daytona Beach with the highly-rated Tomoka State Park. About a mile from the park, it was like entering a jungle. The park became even denser. The sites were very close to one another, but there was so much vegetation between each site that you couldn’t see your neighbor. The first thing we did once we were plugged into the electricity was to turn on the air-conditioner. It was so hot and humid! 

We met Chad and Lais, and her parents at a water-front restaurant under a bridge. It was a great setting for a seafood dinner. The fish was great, along with the birds and the leaping dolphins. After dinner, we had a wonderful key lime pie at Michael and Judy’s house. It was a most enjoyable evening. 

Wednesday, Feb. 19

Before meeting Chad and Lais at a beach dog, I went on a bike ride through the park. Soon after I started on the trail, I got to see an eagle soaring above. Carol was going to be so jealous. Further down the trail, a large monument popped up that seemed out of place. I took a picture but didn’t have the time to find out more.

Our beach date with Chad,  Lais and their dog, Buddy, was fun. We were able to let Christy off leash and she got to meet and greet every person and dog there. With our dogs tired, wet and sandy we hugged each other goodbye and headed off to our next campground. It was a short visit, but we all enjoyed our time together.

A small city park in DeBary, FL was our only choice for a place to stay for the next two nights. Florida is very busy during the winter with RVers. The park seemed nice until an electric power plant across the street fired up. The sound was incredibly loud. We kept hoping the noise would stop at some time, but it never did. We explored the park and lake before calling it a day. 

Thursday, Feb. 20

Carol woke up a little under the weather, so I walked the dogs this morning by myself. Wanting to adventure around, I decided to bike to another park on an adjoining trail. The trail took me over a swamp on a boardwalk, through woods, across a field, and finally into the other park. I then biked to the former winter home (1871) of baron Frederick de Bary. Carol was feeling better when I returned and Christy was crazy, happy to see me.

Click on this link to view my last adventure. https://photos.app.goo.gl/se8boqBRFAQQurTn6

GREAT NEWS – While I was out on my bike, Carol got a call from a man who had been using his metal detector at a small park in  Lordsburg, NM. Christy’s “Adventure Dog” tag had been found! He was going to mail it back to Norton and Carol was very happy. 

Friday, Feb. 21

The temperatures plummeted overnight and it was very windy. We considered not traveling with winds over 25 mph, but we were anxious to get to Myrtle Beach. Keeping the Ham steady while driving on I–95 was ridiculous. I knew that as we drove north, toward Savannah, the winds would gradually subside. I was right, but by that time, I was worn out. We stayed the night in the parking lot of a Cracker Barrel and a had pretty good supper from our host. During the evening, I noticed that our batteries were very low. For some reason, I couldn’t get them to charge. Since the furnace needs battery power, I was afraid that there wasn’t going to be enough power to get us through the cold night. At about 4:00 in the morning, my fear came true. Thank goodness for extra blankets.  

Saturday, Feb. 22

We made it to our condo in Myrtle Beach where we will stay until April.

It’s hard to believe that we’ve visited so many places and had so many adventures. It feels like we’ve lived an entire year in just three short months, and we never rushed ourselves one day.

We hope you enjoyed the stories and the pictures. Next time, there will be even more!