12/20/11
Yippee! We finally made it to the water! 25 days from Syracuse, NY to St. Pete, FL. Now that may sound like a long time to you but it usually takes months putting at 5 mph down the coast freezing our butts off. So 25 days leisurely taking our time, traveling in the heated cab of the pick-up, stopping at friends along the way……we sure are getting soft in our “old age”.
Here we say goodbye to our friends Jerry and Donna in Oriental.
On to Huntington Beach State Park where we took a site with a number of other RVs.
Then an overnight stop in Georgetown, SC at a town park where we bought fresh shrimp from a shrimp boat before heading off the beaten path the next day to SC’s Frances Marion National Forest.
Jerry didn’t flinch much as we headed off route 17 onto a narrow paved road, which turned into a dirt road, which narrowed to one lane. The boat and trailer took up most of the width of the road. We set up our “camper” with the deer, coon, and squirrel hunters in this primitive camp site, “Elmwood Recreation Area”. Jerry backed into a beautiful quiet spot surrounded by live oak trees, Spanish moss dangling from above and with a log at the back of the boat to make it easier to board! I’m sure we provided some interesting conversation material for the campers here by bringing our boat to the forest.
Onto Charles and Debbie Jones on Isle of Palms, SC where we parked the boat in their driveway. The Atlantic Ocean is just across the road. Jerry and I played checkers and Candy Land over and over again with the grandchildren Catcher (6) and Storia (3) who were visiting for 2 weeks. The excitement at the household was Catcher’s picture taken with Rick Perry at a local Charleston event. Catcher wearing his “Future President” t-shirt “Donations Accepted Now” must have caught Rick Perry’s eye and Catcher received a personal greeting. He made it to the national news as reporters caught Perry stumbling on words and facts.
Here’s Storia at the Mt. Pleasant Christmas parade which included a ton of bands, floats, cars, dancers, boiled peanuts, and cotton candy. A chilly night indeed!
Our first campsite in FL was at Huegenot Park along the St. John’s River in Jacksonville. From our site we faced the inlet that we have sailed in and out of many times on the boat. Sure seems strange to be the ones on shore looking out at the boats.
Our buddy Chris came to entertain, take us to dinner at “his” restaurant with wife Amy, and spend his days off with us.
A walk along the beach at Talbot State Park.
Chris perfecting the conditions in his smoker for the smoky extravaganza meal he prepared.
Charlie and Elsy Frazier pictured here have lovely place just south of the Ocala Forest where we spent a night camped in their yard.
Charlie, Elsy, and Karen reminisce about times spent together on the water back in NY. Elsy made sure that we did not go hungry!!!!!! Sure would have liked to stay a few more days but we needed to keep moving.
Our friend Patti, whom we met in St. Croix a few years ago, has her sailboat here in St. Petersburg and met us at the Demen Park boat launch.
The weather has warmed up – high 70s during the day and 60s overnight with a warming trend for the rest of the week. Perfect! Back where we belong – onboard in the water!
There are a few other boats at anchor in the harbor. One is a fishing boat with a sign “We Buy Fish” on the side and we watch as small boats approach all day with loads of fish in nets.
With no FL fishing license or fishing gear onboard Jerry has to go investigate. He comes back with mullet for dinner and prepares them on the aft deck.
So fresh fish and then sailing. Feels like home. We join Patti and her friends aboard Patti’s boat “Lutra” for an afternoon sail on Tampa Bay.
Dinners together, work on Patti’s boat, our truck and trailer go to Patti’s Dad’s house for the winter, organizing, cleaning, looking over our charts……we’re preparing to explore the west coast of FL south to Charlotte Harbor.
Happy Holidays to you,
Karen and Jerry
Mariah, one of Patti’s dogs enjoys sailing on Tampa Bay.
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