It’s always more fun to write a blog AS YOU TRAVEL, but the trip to Florida was not all fun and games. As stated in our previous blog for our West Virginia motorcycle trip, we came home on Saturday and then turned around and left for Del Ray Beach, Florida on Tuesday to tend to the estate of Harry’s Aunt Ruth who had passed away.
We arrived in Del Ray on Thursday and spent the next week, cleaning up, clearing out and conducting an Estate Sale, which we ran from Monday thru Friday. What did not sell was donated to the Battered Woman’s Shelter Thrift Shop and the local Food Kitchen. There are lots of stories that could be told about the experience but we will NOT get into that here!!
Sunday, June 23rd we took the day off and headed down to the Keys in hopes of getting in some sight seeing and snorkeling. We made it as far south as Bahia Honda State Park and snorkeled in both the Gulf and the Atlantic but much to our surprise- the water was as warm as bathwater! Of course the air temperature was in the high 90’s! The thermometer on the van read 98 degrees at one point! We stopped at Long Key State Park on our way back north for a picnic lunch in the shade. The GPS, Lula, advised us to get off the turnpike and take route 95, which took us right next to Miami and Fort Lauderdale. And as it had happened all week – there was another heavy downpour of rain!
That Monday the 24th we finished up the legal business with the attorney and the funeral home and delivered the last of the food items to the local Food Kitchen and loaded the van.
Tuesday we pulled out of the driveway for the last time and then headed northwest to pay our respects at the cemetery where Harry’s Uncle Irv and Aunt Ruth are now both buried. Harry cannot drive thru south Florida without checking on Lake Okeechobee, so around it we went and checked on the campgrounds that had been damaged by storms 3 years ago. One looks just like it did 2 years ago! Exhausted, we parked the overburdened van in Ocala and had a wonderful, but way too short visit with my sister Sharon and her husband Dick. We even got to eat at my favorite restaurant - - Stumpknockers!
Wednesday we were up early again but our fist stop was at Ichetucknee Springs State Park and snorkeled in 2 small but beautiful fresh water springs. The one spring (called the Blue Hole) was said to be 50 ft deep. We could not see the bottom of the craggy deep blue hole in the floor of the spring! From there it was pedal to the metal heading north. The pedal was not always down tho – especially thru Atlanta Georgia at 5pm and then the heavy traffic and road construction just north of Lexington Kentucky.
We are home safely. The van is unloaded and we are getting our strength back. Please keep checking this blog, as we WILL be on the road again. Just not in the next 2 weeks!
