We say goodbye to 2016

This was a big year!  Lots of great stuff happening, and we renewed our motorhoming commitment with the purchase of Blowin-in-the-Wind 2.  Another Winnebago 30ft RV; this time with a third slideout for our bedroom, and a more homey feel with a dining table and chairs......and Morey's favorite option, the television that lowers into the dining buffet. 

So we say goodbye to BIW. 

And we welcome BIW2! 

The big question.....Do we start our "States Visited" quest from the beginning, or do we build on our current 47 states visited??  Which would mean we only have to travel to Rhode Island and Alaska.  (Hawaii doesn't look too doable.) 

Fort Desoto County Park

Recommended by our RV friends, we pulled into our campsite here at Fort Desoto, just south of St. Petersburg.  Nice sites; all very private with Florida vegetation between us and all of the RVs; and then the water views from the back of our site.  Nice place to spend a week!





Lots of great stuff to do here....  paved, wide bike trails to the ends of the key, a great snack bar and beach shop with 16 flavors of ice cream, a nice beach on the gulf with sugar sand, and two forts from the Spanish American War to explore.  We DID have to be careful at the forts......

   

Captain Toe steering us to Egmont Key

Another day we took the ferry to Egmont Key, snorkeled around some of the ruins of Fort Dade, then walked the key where we saw a Gopher Tortoise, moving slow.........

Tomorrow we clean up BIW and get it ready to sleep here in Tampa, while we fly home for the holidays.  We'll be back in February with all of our camping gear from another trip to Cinnamon Bay in the USVI.

We found...Low Key Hideaway !!!

After 6 days of extreme activity at Disney, it was time to find a quiet quirky place where we could watch the sunset drop below the marshes here on Cedar Key.  On the "Nature Coast", a couple of hours north of Tampa is this very historical key.  We pulled our RV into Low Key Hideaway which has 3 RV spots with full hookups, and a small motel with 8 rooms.

Before doing some biking and checking out the history and the eateries, we first made a stop at the on-premises Tiki Bar where Ruthie ordered the Hideaway Special...she definitely enjoyed it with the three shots of rum in a slurry of pink juice. 

Of course we didn't start imbibing until we had parked BIW facing the marshes with a primo view out of our windshield.  Relax we did.

Over the next few days, we biked around Cedar Key.  We discovered that Yulee's railroad terminated here, coming from the east coast at Fernandina Beach (another of our favorite Florida spots).  Cedar Key was a major port for shipments to Cuba and Central America in the late 1800s.  Cedar Key was also the manufacturing source for Faber pencils (until all of the Cedars were cut down).  It wasn't until Yellow Fever, Malaria, and the horrible heat of south Florida was conquered, that this area lost its worth, and population.

Today, Cedar Key is a low budget vacation spot.  Getting clobbered by hurricanes every 10 to 20 years has caused for newer buildings to start at the 12 foot level.  There was a recent hurricane this August 31st with a 12 foot storm surge which shut down the Low Key Hideaway; just now getting back in business. 

We did get to Tony's for its world class clam chowder and a great gulf shrimp sandwich.  So good, we bought a case of this chowder to take home.

And couldn't miss the butterflies just outside our window

Another Magical Trip to the Magic Kingdom

For a very magical birthday present for Jordan's fifth birthday, we booked 6 days at Walt Disney World. 



Michael, Jess, & Jordan stayed at Port Orleans Riverside, while we set up BIW at Fort Wilderness.  Disney did not disappoint! 

Arriving on Halloween, we were amazed at all of the incredible decorations at the campground.  And all we had were some pink flamingo lights.........oops, we left them at home.  After setting up camp, we took a short walk over the docks and watched the 9pm fireworks and then the electrical light show on the lake (hasn't changed since our first trip in 1972). 

Next day at the Magic Kingdom, just a short boat ride away.  Met Jordan and his parents at the main gate and we then set out for a dynamite day at the MK.  First stop, the Flying Carpets, then the Jungle Cruise, Pirates of the Caribbean, etc, etc.  Saw two great parades too.

Then a day of leisure, hanging at the pools; before the following day at the Animal Kingdom.  Took the Safari ride where the animals are REAL, and on to a number of shows and more rides.  Pretty worn out, but there is more!

Back to the Magic Kingdom to spend time in Fantasy Land.  Getting pretty good at Fast Passing too.
Stayed for the awesome fireworks initiated by Tinker Bell flying directly over our heads!!

What a great way to celebrate Jordan's fifth!