Roaming around Florida...

We would like to take this time to wish all our family, friends and followers a very Merry Christmas and a happy New Year.  It has been a fun year that has seen us travel the four corners of this great Country.  From California to Washington to Maine and where we will end out the year here in Florida.

Here we are at Downtown Disney, spending a day just wandering through all the shops with just about everything that Disney could think of selling and to our dismay most of it was made in China.  We did manage to get out of there with just lunch and a couple of small gifts for grandkids.

Another day we had the pleasure of viewing the Manatees in the river next to the power plant where the water temperature was about 85 degrees.  They sit on the bottom and walk around looking for food and then will rise, take a breath of air and go back down again.

The fish will follow them and keep them clean; fun to watch.

Looking down the river you can see lots of the Manatees.

Spent another day walking Siesta Beach on the Gulf that is self proclaimed the most beautiful beach in the world.

 The pure white sand is the remains of shells rather that ground up rock. Firm to walk on but stays cool under foot on a hot day.  Lots of people enjoying the day and also...

lots of birds watching the people watching the birds.  Had to say that.

On Wednesday evenings when in the area we meet up with friends at Old Town Kissimmee enjoying live music, old cars and street dancing.

We have spent a lot of time just relaxing but still get out and see some of the area.  This time it was Kennedy Space Center near Orlando on the Atlantic.

We took the bus tour around the base and got a good, outside look, at the assembly building where the space shuttle was assembled to move to it's launching pad.  This is the largest single story building in the world.

Got the chance to view the Apollo/Saturn V rocket-- 363' tall and weighs more than 7 Boeing's 747 Jumbo Jets at about 6.2 million pounds. 

We also got to take a ride that simulated the take-off of the Saturn V rocket.  What a ride!!!

A full size wall mural with spectacular lighting showing the Apollo/Saturn V on the launch pad.

Had the pleasure of meeting a couple from Washington State and have made plans to take our rubber boat with them about 13 miles up the Peace River later this week. (We'll drive up and paddle back.)  If you don't hear from us soon just assume the gaiters got us and send someone to retrieve CC.

To be continued...

Moving south to Florida

From Virginia, our last post, we continued to move south into North Carolina where we spent a few days and finally got our bicycles out for long past due ride.  This trail was another "rails to trails" and was about 17 miles long. (We didn't do all 17 miles--just 7.)  A very flat but beautiful ride thru the woods.

After the ride we spent a relaxing evening with Jackie's nephew Brad Cook and his fiance Melissa who prepared a delicious dinner.  We reciprocated and had them over to our humble home the next evening for dinner and very enjoyable evening.  (The bike trail goes less than a mile from their home.)

What better stop than the next state south of here into South Carolina.  We found a camp site on a very large lake just behind us.  Not many people around and several miles away from the freeway so quite pretty. 

The morning broke with a light fog over the lake just behind us, but that evening was another example of the changes that mother nature shares with us.

We only spent two nights here, but with sights like this it was hard to pack up and move again.

Last state before we made it to Florida was Georgia where we spent a few days seeing some of the sights, one being Fort Frederica National Monument.  Georgia's fate was decided in 1742 when Spanish and British forces clashed on St. Simons Island. Fort Frederica's troops defeated the Spanish, ensuring Georgia's future as a British colony. 

The remains here are mostly the refurbishd foundations,

If interested you can get more history of this National Monument.  Check it out  here.

This area of Georgia was full of live oaks with spanish moss drifting back and forth in the light breeze.

Not far from the National Monument was St. Simons Island Lighthouse sitting in the middle of town built in1872 and stands 104' tall. 

We made it up the 129-steps to get a picture of Jackie looking over the Atlantic Ocean

Well, we finally made it to Florida where we are greeted by a half dozen or so Sand Hill Cranes wandering around the park.  You could feed them out of your hand.

Check out the eye of this guy (gal?) watching to see what Dick was doing with the camera.

And finally this guy was sharing our site living in a hole he dug next to the sewer hookup.

We have our schedule all set until about the 3rd of March when we plan on heading back north and then west.  Remember, it's all subjet to change.  If interested in our schedule just click here. 

To be continued...