Florida to Michigan

Hello, Dear Blog Friends – we are home – safe but very tired.  The trailer is in the driveway with its big brown nose pressed up against the garage door like an overgrown tan puppy, begging to get in.   It was a very rushed long drive home with only daytime stops for gas and 2 nighttime stops for sleep.  Now it’s time to slow down, breath and stay safe.

Cracker lake

Our one week stay at cozy Cracker Lake, evolved into two and then when the virus became more real and more folks were coming down with it, we stretched it to three!  Not wanting to take the chance on moving, H canceled our next move, which was going to be another RV park – a bigger RV park.                                       We rode up to Ruskin to see what the River Vista RV Resort was all about – it was indeed a beautiful RESORT, resting right on the banks of the Manatee River that runs thru Ruskin.  But – there were OVER 500 RV sites that were wall to wall.  NOT good unless you didn’t care about catching the virus.  It was a very wise choice to stay at Cracker Lake for that week number three!

We all know that H gets restless after staying 2 weeks in any one place so the 3^rd week was a push.  He did get the itch and we did take a ride to see the normally empty southern end of Coquina Beach.  Even with the instructions to “socially distance”, there were way too many people on that beach!  We distanced ourselves from the big bodies in not big enough suits, the gaggle of little kids running back and forth from the waters edge and the

teens - who didn’t care what was going on.   After all – it was THEIR spring break!  We walked to the much quieter and much less populated very end of the island where the bridge connects it to Longboat Key to the south.  The winds were light and our parking spot was away from everyone else’s so H got out his drone for a few gorgeous photos of the bay, the bridge and the vast expanse of the Gulf to the west.   That was to be the last of our days out exploring and enjoying our days of relaxation.  Stress was about to show it’s ugly head.

On Wednesday it was announced that Florida was shutting down all of it’s state and federal parks – that included our next two places to stay – Ross Prairie Greenway Campground in Ocala and Manatee Springs in Chiefland.  The shutdown was to go into effect on Friday at noon, but the park manager at Ross Prairie told H we would be allowed to stay Thursday night but had to be out on Friday.  When we pulled into the park that morning – the rule had changed and we were not going to be allowed to stay – no matter what H was told two days earlier.  We were only permitted to leave the tan train for a short time while we drove to my sisters home 3 miles away to pick up items she wanted to send home with us.  Without even entering her home we hurriedly packed the tote boxes in the back of the truck and without as much as a farewell hug, we returned to the trailer to hastily re-hook up and head for the highway and north to Georgia.

From Ocala to almost the Florida/Georgia border we dutifully stayed in our lane and let the other two lanes of northbound traffic whiz on past us on I75.  In Waycross Georgia, the Laura S Walker State Park was open and they did our registration over the phone

Clarks Hill 

from their driveway and even delivered our confirmation to us at the campsite after we were secure for the night.  Off again the next morning we continued our push for home.  As we crossed over the Savannah River via the Thurmond Lake Dam which bridges RT221 from Georgia to South Carolina we decided it was past time for breakfast so the Clark Hill Lake Rec Area proved to be a good spot with a great view of the lake and the dam beyond, for a great place to fix a delicious breakfast of grilled English muffin with fried egg and cheese!!  The propane stovetop in the trailer worked great to prepare our buttery treat!  For the rest of the day it was stopping only for gas until it was time to stop once more for the night.

Spring had come to Florida and Georgia – Bottlebrush, Dogwood, Azalea, and Magnolia were all in bloom.  In the Carolina’s Wisteria, Forsythia and Daffodils decorated the yards and

Bottlebrush

roadways!  By the time we got to Tennessee, clouds overshadowed everything. Then came the rain.  The deluge was finally letting up as we parked for the night in our less than favorite Warriors Path State Park on the outskirts of Kingsport.  Reservations were made while still on the road and our misspelled name was already on the campsite post when we pulled in.  Crooked and JUST barely off the narrow strip called a road - we didn’t care – we were parked.   In the morning, heavy fog smacked us in the face and slowed us to a crawl as we pushed north thru the mountains of Virginia.  Minimal northbound traffic thru Kentucky and even southern Ohio – until we hit I75 at Findlay, when it was bumper to bumper, 3 lanes of semi’s and now RV’s pushing in haste to get home to Michigan, Ontario and even Quebec.   We let them all pass!  Then we were home - - tired, but safe and with NO Covid 19 in our luggage!

We’ve been home a week. The snow has come like a thief in the night and is gone already.  Self-quarantine is still the mantra. 

We’re ordering our groceries online and H has ordered parts, received them, and repaired his truck!  Taxes are filed and census forms have been taken care of!  Next I need vegetable seeds for the garden.  It’s time to plant peas!