Camping on the edge

Just picture this......

After a stop at St. Marys, GA to check out the Cumberland Island National Park Visitors Center, and enjoy a truly low country lunch of mac & cheese with shrimp; we arrived at Hunting Island State Park around 4pm.  Pulled in at site 48, the primo spot in the campground.  Why primo?  After we had backed in to the level area, we were 2 feet to the wooden slat fence -- the ocean was only 100 feet away on the other side of the fence.  Incredible views and surf sounds from our campsite.

Then at 8pm, with us snugly in our RV, we wondered why the noise of the crashing waves was becoming so loud.  Shined our flashlight out our doorway and yes, we had an ocean site! It was high tide and the surf was within feet of our RV! By morning with high tide due to be even higher due to the coming full moon, we pulled in our slideouts, pulled up our levelers, and headed to higher ground.  (We did stay on the site.)

And tonight, we watched the moon rise over the Atlantic.

 

We've been told that site 48 probably won't exist next year.  The park does not replenish the beach and the campground has already lost over a dozen campsites over the last few years.

Joined the Snow Birds here at St. Augustine

So should we admit that we’ve gotten to a new station in life?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Let’s see…Camping at Anastasia State Park only a couple of miles across the Lion Bridge to the old town of St. Augustine.  139 sites filled with RVs from all the northern Northeast and Midwest states; and the more mature taking walks and enjoying the beach and environs.

Shopping old town and eating at the Columbia, a branch restaurant of the famous Cuban one in Tampa – Cuban sandwiches, gazpacho, plantain chips, and sangria --  Really GOOD! 

Checking out the Alligator Farm…. oodles of gators, both allis and crocs, cool birds; and for the young (at heart?) a zip line course.  Mustn’t forget to mention the gift shop with plush alligators and snakes. These are the non-venemous ones; learned this bit of

info at a reptile talk!

Getting a haircut at Prices Barber Shop.  Not much has changed since 1931 when the shop opened; at least not the taxidermy animals and fish.  We do think that the barbers are not the original ones.  Nice haircut too; although I think its good, and if not, Liz will fix when we get home.

Walking the farmers market with lots of chatzka’s, but then also farm fresh (and actually from Florida) veggies – nothing like a “real” tomato.  Then a stop at the fish market and picking up some fresh caught, Atlantic shrimp.

 

Being a snow bird is aok!!

SO FAR AWAY, yet only miles to Jacksonville

Spent four days camping at Little Talbot Island SP; a campsite with a view!  A panorama of the marsh with nightly sunsets.  Only a few miles east of Jacksonville, FL you would never know you were near this major city.  All of Little Talbot Island is a state park with miles of virtually untouched beach and bay side with marshes and wildlife.  Parked our RV at the campsite, where looking out the windows you would think you were the only one on the island! 

Lots of great recreational things to keep us moving.  One day we took a 3 hour kayak tour through the marshes.  What a great day with blue skies and temps in the 60s. 

Another day we biked down to Ft. George Island where the Ribault Club and the Kingsley Plantation were toured.  As part of the bike ride, took a detour with the river ferry to Singletons “real” seafood shack.  Another taste test of shrimp po’boys; this time with onion rings.  Great. 

For our final day, after braving near freezing overnight temps, took a 5 mile hike through the dunes and beach.  This Florida state park has over 8 miles of ocean beachfront to explore.

Arrrrrrrrrrrr.....Good Food, Matey!

Camped here at Amelia Island for the week.  History has this island as a pirate area with Fernandina Beach being the place to off load all of the pirated treasures from passing Spanish and other country's ships.  At the northern end of Florida just below the Georgia state line, this was a no-mans land between Spanish Florida and the United States in the early 1800s.  A perfect place to have a pirate home.

 

Today this island boasts a quaint red brick downtown with an incredible array of restaurants.  Everything from bakeries and coffee shops, to fine gourmet dining.  Our toughest time here was to decide where we were going to eat!  Had lunch at Kelley's Courtyard Cafe where we had the very best shrimp po'boys made from local caught shrimp, WOW !!

Then enjoyed a dinner at 29 South where we had shrimp&grits and a truly southern fried chicken.  Another WOW!  This eating doesn't count the stops at the ice cream shop and the coffee shop.

But, OK, you get the message about the eating here.  What else?.......

Camping at Ft. Clinch State Park was terrific.  Great sites with full hookups, clean and modern restrooms....Great biking down the 3 mile entrance road under the live oaks, spanish moss, and palmettos.  Also you can tour the civil war era fort that was never attacked but is quite impressive.

And then there is the beach with the half mile fishing pier and the sunset watching on the St. Marys River.

Took a tour boat to Cumberland Island and checked out this large barrier island where the rich and famous (Rockefellers, Carnegies) set up shop.  They felt that Jekyll Island (the next island north) was getting too crowded and besides the Carnegies were excluded (table manners?), and wanted their own exclusive island.  Some very impressive homes from the early 1900s including the still operating Greyfield Inn are still on CI, along with wild horses and lots of birds.

Biked 12 miles south on Amelia Island to Burney Beach where during segregation, this was the only beach in Florida where blacks were allowed to enjoy the ocean.  Then biked back up AIA along the coast, an ice cream stop and back to our campsite. 

A great week here.

Return to Gator Country....

Having retrieved our RV in North Carolina, we headed south toward Florida;  with our goal of staying in warm temps for the next couple of months.

First stop; Stephen C. Foster State Park in the southeast corner of Georgia.  This park is in the middle of the Okeefenokee Swamp with the Suwanee River flowing through it.  A nice campground in the middle of a very quiet part of the USA.  Had electric, water, and even 11 channel cable hookups!

Biked two days on the road along the tall pines and into the swamp area. 

Then canoed from the park office through a canal onto the Suwanee River.  We figured all of the Alligators would be sleeping; after all it is Winter -- but nope..... And even when we respected the sign of not waking them up?!

Saw 31 Gators, all bright eyed and looking hungry.  One must have been over 400 lbs and looked like he could easily rip a hole in our aluminum canoe.  Paddled faster from that spot.  Did enjoy the river, the cypress trees, and the beautiful river views.