Steve and Cathy: WorldTour Part I -- AMERICA: March 2015

Thursday, March 26, 2015

3/15-3/29 Flamingo Lake RV Resort, Jacksonville, FL.

This is a private park with lots to offer (although we are right off of the highway and can hear the noise). Big lake with a walk all the way around, two beaches, lots of beach toys for the kiddos, and an on-site restaurant!

green beer and beads

green hair!

We take a St. Pat's day trip to downtown Jacksonville and spend the late afternoon at Fionn MacCools Irish Pub. We drink green stuff, buy the tee shirts and watch Irish folk dancers and the Fire Brigade Pipes and Drums, and several different Irish singers. What fun!!!

Steve's new tee shirt

one of the singers

another of the singers

The Fire Brigade Pipes and Drums

the dancers

view from across the river

soldier's quarters

We take a trip to see Fort Matanzas in St. Augustine. This is a very small fort on the mouth of the Matanzas River. We had to take a ferry over to see it.

Steve on top of the fort

one of the tortoises

fort from the land side

from the roof

great live oak!

the moat

Arch over the entryway

We also took a trip to Fort Caroline/Timucuan Historic Preserve. The fort is not well preserved, but the area is beautiful and scenic. The Timucuan were the people of the region, who died out after both French and Spanish people settled here.

Steve reads all the signs!

Spanish moss

cool tree knot

We also went to Jekyll Island, GA while we were close. We saw a sea turtle hospital and rehab center and toured the island.

Other than a blood donation and some errands, that was it for this area!

3/1-3/15 Three Flags RV Resort, Wildwood, FL

This park is just down the road from the Villages, which seems to be retirement heaven, if you are so inclined! Much to do and see there.

However, we are here so Steve and Steve Berry can ride motorcycles all day, every day!!! And they do! From the Gulf Coast to the Atlantic Coast and everywhere in between!

We do take a small break and visit Mt. Dora, a cute touristy place with great cupcakes! We also attend a wine-tasting party with the Harley group that the Berrys belong to.

Had a great time here!

Wednesday, March 11, 2015

3/1-3/15 - Sunshine Travel, Vero Beach, FL

Steve on the Atlantic Beach

Randy and Jackie

Our inlaws came for a visit while we were here. Randy and Jackie Colton assisted us in our tours of the Barrier Islands around here, and with a visit to Kennedy Space Center!

The assembly bldg. The flag stripes are 6 feet across.

Randy and Jackie

The Rocket Garden

The transporter that moves the rocket from the assembly building to the tower. 36 feet per gallon!

The launch tower

Cathy makes a new friend

Right after Randy and Jackie left, their son Clint and his wife Melanie flew down to pick up an RV they had just purchased. Here are the happy new owners!

2/1-3/1 - Fiesta Key RV Resort, Long Key, FL

We are in the middle of the Keys, here. On one side is the Atlantic Ocean, and on the other side is the Florida Basin. The water is a beautiful blue, and about 4 feet deep for miles!

vultures were everywhere!

Anhinga in the usual wing-drying posture

We took a trip to the Everglades National Park, which is north from here! It is not a swamp, but a free flowing river about 30 miles wide and 2 feet deep! Just a few inches of land makes a difference in what grows here, from sawgrass to cypress to pines. Lots of wildlife!

Anhinga

28 gators

gator close-up

peek-a-boo crane

Poser!

he was a foot from the path and didn't look real until he opened his eyes

tree root (Steve thought it was a snake!

they built the walkway around the rocks

We also went to Biscayne Bay National Park (which is mostly under water!)

Beautiful!

We also took a trip to the Dry Tortugas National Park, 70 miles off the coast of Key West! We had to be there by 7:30 am and we were 70 miles away, so up in the dark for a motorcycle ride!