Georgia North & South Carolina

Amelia Island is still beautiful and the touristy pirate town of Fernandina is still alive and well. We traveled the length of that barrier island, checked out the town and our favorite "junk" shop. I got to buy something this time! 50% off of course! But now it is time to head north to Georgia and our path leads us to yet another island. Blythe Island doesn't seem like an island because there are no rolling waves, crashing on sandy beaches. Salt marshes and ribbons of waterways wandered thru them. We've been to Brunswick Georgia on past ventures but we've found more to explore. H found the restored old courthouse that was partially hidden by all the palms, magnolia trees and azalea bushes that were in full bloom. Over one of the many tall graceful bridges was St Simon Island. The town square was dotted with eclectic shops,a lovely park with yet another mammoth live oak with outstretched limbs. a fishing pier and lighthouse standing guard like a tall toy soldier.

The further north we head , the colder it gets. Charleston North Carolina was no exception! Our trusty little heater is working harder and longer into each day! H found a PA campground just outside of town and the heater was turned on right away. Lake Aire Campground does have a small U shaped lake/pond. The place also comes with a batch of nosy Muscovy Ducks that make the rounds of the campers at least twice a day. We found out they like bread crusts and crackers but not chopped peanuts from McDonalds!



I can't remember if we've been to Charleston in the last 5 years but there is SO much to see that repeat trips are always welcome. This time we even stopped at the Visitors Welcome Center and took the free trolley downtown to the Historic Old Towne. We walked the waterfront park and pier and then headed back in a few blocks because the wind coming off the open water was COLD! It was so neat to walk the old stone streets and to peer thru the wrought iron gates into the impeccably groomed inner courtyards, full of blooming azaleas and manicured hedges. The houses sat right next to the street with their layers and layers of full length porches that faced the waterfront. All had heavy doors at the street side end of the first floor porch, making the house seem much wider than it actually was! We quietly stepped inside St Michael's Episcopal Church, built in 1761 and is the oldest in the city. We found the Old City Market, a 3 block long collection of low brick buildings that now house various venders and craft folks. It smells like horses because right outside is the lineup of horses and buggies that take folks on tours of the city!

As old and historic as Charleston is - Myrtle Beach is the opposite! The term used for MB is 'The Grand Strand" because it is 60 miles of beautiful beaches and tall grand hotels and fancy resorts. MB claims a boardwalk that wanders over and thru small sand dunes covered with seaoats and other grasses, and passes by an assortment of T-shirt shops and tourist stores. Several blocks over is the line up of seafood buffets - one after the other with their coupons and their fake gaudy sharks and oversized crabs hanging from their brightly painted roofs! A few weeks back it was Bike Week in Daytona - - it is Spring Break in MB! The beaches were full of scantily clad teens trying to have fun in the barely 50 degree weather! H spotted 2 brave (crazy?) girls wading out in the breaking waves in their tiny little attires! What do yah think?

Our home for 2 nights was the Briarcliffe RV Resort - another PA selection. It was gated - but the gate was left open for most of the day. It had a new clubhouse and pool that sat right next to the Intercoastal Waterway. There was cable but no wifi! This park was selected because it was the closest campground to my high school classmate Sue - and she came to spend the day with me! A girls day out - shopping and lunch! Greasy gooey yummy big hamburgers along with monster onion rings and sweet potato fries! We should have ordered just the burgers so the rings and fries came home with me and was our supper that evening. I must admit - they were better fresh!

Time again to move on north - NORTH CAROLINA. Weather reports are showing cold and rain ahead of us. Can't move too far or too fast!

St Augustine & Jacksonville

We've always thought that Bike Week in Daytona was the first full week in March and we've always steered clear of that area at that time of year. In Salt Springs the roar of bikes had begun and we learned that bike week this year was the SECOND full week in March. H was able to get 2 nights in Anastasia State Park in St Augustine in spite of all the bikers. The weather turned cold and the winds picked up and blew steadily. As in the past - one of the first items on H's agenda was to drive his truck out on the wide, tire rutted sand beach. Thanks to bike week and spring breakers - we were caught in the time of day when the park staff charge to drive on their beach! It HAD to be done - the Jeep Liberty got to, the 94 Ford Truck got to, so this truck got to prove he was worthy, too! The day was cold and windy The sky was void of sun and hung heavily with charcoal clouds. Hardy folks were huddled under blankets and some were behind bright colored beach umbrellas or hidden behind their parked vehicles. Younger folks (teens!) were braver and were attempting to work on their spring break tans anyway but their goose bumps were getting in the way! We did see a group of riders on horseback having fun, splashing in the shallow waves at the waters edge.

The first settlement in Florida calls us to come see her history, every time we approach the Old Town area of St Augustine. The cold weather was keeping the bike accident tragedies down but that meant a big bunch of warm weather bikers had come to town and the main street was domino stacked with a selection of Harleys and Goldwings of various colors and amounts of chrome. The bikers were easy to spot with all that Harley gear they were wrapped in!

We are island hopping. A1A starts down south of Miami and ends at the Florida - Georgia border. All along our journey north on this winter's adventure, we hopped on and off of A1A and her barrier island bridges, thru fancy neighborhoods lined with huge mansions that probably belonged to more than one movie star and then along the sheltering grass covered dunes that protected the islands residents. Anastasia Island was one such island and so is the island that protects Jacksonville and is home to the Mayport Naval Station and the small town of Mayport. Kathryn Abbey Hanna Park must be the area's best kept secret! A huge, beautiful park with clean Atlantic beaches that stretch what seemed like forever from the mouth of the St Johns River and Mayport Naval Station to points south. The strong winds from St Augustine have followed us north because the waves were still raging and crashing against the thick encrusted pylons of the fishing pier just south of the park itself. The naval station is host to several large gray ocean vessels and has to be the training facility for ALL helicopter pilots since the roar heard overhead was continuous all day long. We took a ride down to "historic" Mayport and found a good view of their landing field and red brick lighthouse. Too bad there was a shiny barbed wire fence that stood in the way.

Check our past blog to read about the great Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens! We both remembered some of the animal displays and some seemed totally new to us. High wooden boardwalks crossed high above the animal enclosures giving everyone a great vantage point to admire each variety of four legged creatures. Our last visit was on a trip heading south in December and the other park visitors were at a minimum. Not so this time - 9 big yellow buses full of school children and the necessary amount of Mom's to keep close watch on their excited young charges! All were eager to see the elephants, bears, colorful birds, camouflaged reptiles, intelligent looking gorillas, a funny playful black otter who was busy chasing his tail around and around and the handful of tall, long legged giraffes!

New on this trip to the zoo was the adorable 3 week old baby giraffe who was curled up on the ground with it's legs tucked under trying to stay warm in the afternoon sun. It's Mama was not going to let it rest for long, as she persistently nudged until it struggled to stand up on its wobbly toothpick legs. After our zoo visit we managed to find downtown Jacksonville with it's modern looking shiny buildings and crossed over the wide St Johns River again. Our last stop before heading back to the "condo" was a recommended restaurant for - YEP! MORE seafood! Singleton's Seafood Restaurant looks rather shabby from the outside and the inside is lined with picnic tables, complete with rolls of paper towels. Out back were moored the large shrimping boats that would bring in their fresh catches each day. One room in the rickety building is filled with beautifully built wooden model boats of all sizes and types! And the food ??? I thoroughly enjoyed the perfectly fried "Trigger" fish and chips!

A1A leads to the ferry dock at the north end of the island and we were to drive aboard the large flat ferry platform the next morning and continue our slow journey home. From the dock on the north side of the wide fast flowing St Johns River we will travel up the length of yet another one of Florida's barrier islands.

Ocala National Forest

Reminder you can left  click on pics to view enlarged

Our 3 days in Wilderness RV Resort was nice but now we are really in the "wilderness" - The Ocala National Forest! We are nestled in the midst of the Ocala "Jewels" - Its cluster of top rated , first magnitude fresh water springs. We always try to stay in one of the campgrounds in the forest, either on our way down or on our way back north. This year - we are on our way north! H got us 3 nights stay at the far end of the campground in Salt Springs but we were able to move over a few rows and thankfully got to stay longer.

SPFB - - the last time we were here we slid the orange bubbles into the water and kayaked in the middle of a group of about 4 manatees. This year there was already a gathering of boats and snorkelers out in the shallow area enjoying the curious creatures. As we drifted and circled , the large dark mellow animals also did an underwater slow dance of dipping down to the bottom and then rising up and sticking there wide noses out of the water for a brief moment before slipping back under and do see do'ing again. These animals were as big as the kayak and had no fear - not even the 4 ft long baby who swam along side its mother. One good sized fella came under my little orange boat from the back and popped his snout up out of the water with a BIG blast of air and water - right in front of my bubble! As another slowly swam past - it was easy to reach down and touch its moss covered scratchy hide. We figured there had to be at least a dozen of the gentle mammals out there this time! H had the underwater camera ready and made good use of it! According to him, he has deleted more pictures of them than he kept and he kept ALOT!

If that weren't enough thrill for one day - we donned the wet suits, grabbed the snorkel equipment and camera and headed for the springs! The water was deeper than last year; cool but not cold; and the amount of weeds was under control. On our last visit - the springs had been closed due to the installation of the steps and new break wall so the weeds had taken over the entire spring area making it just about impossible to do any swimming. Thanks to a clear sunny day the water was crystal blue down in the deep crevice of the springs and the variety and amount of fish was amazing! H kept the camera clicking! I stood poised on the edge of one of the huge boulders that lined the dark bottomless hole, ready to step off and fall down, down, down. I stepped and instead of sinking, my buoyant wetsuit held me up and I floated effortlessly over the chasm- big blue fins fanning slowly back and forth below me!

The weather has been amazing - in the 30's or low 40's at night and up to mid 70's on most days. The one day it made it only to the 60's - we headed out to hunt for bear! The majority of Florida's black bear population are in the Ocala Forest and we weren't going to see any in the campground - not with all those campers there! H'll use any excuse to get the big blue truck out into the backwoods and explore the multitude of sandy logging roads that crisscross the pine forest. Not a single bear to be found but we did pass thru an area that had endured a fire recently. The one side of the road was still thick with underbrush, prickly scratchy bushes and tall dried grasses. The section of fire damaged trees had bare sand, black burnt stumps and trunks. Yet , the tops of the slender trees were still green. You could see in the background where the direction of the wind kept the fire from traveling, was still bright fresh green.

Silver Glen Springs is south of Salt Springs on Rt 19. There had been a severe wildfire just a few days ago but the highway was now reopened for traffic. The run from the spring area to Lake George is approximately 3/4 mile. The currant is swift enough but the edges were clogged with invasive plants that grew so thick they formed green islands filling in every available space between the water lily pads. Giant turtles crowded on downed limbs that rested in the shallow water. Cormorants with wings outstretched like dark T-shirts drying in the wind filled the treetops. And at the mouth of the river, a lone squawking Osprey stood guard on her nest and complained about our passage so close to her post. A host of boats dotted the horizon of the large lake and then a trio of loud airboats blew by us in a big hurry. When the kayaks were nestled back in the truck, and H's sore back had quit aching - it was the snorkel equipment's turn to play. Silver Glen's spring is a large bowl area with the surging water coming from deep in the center. Surrounding the bowl is a seaweed/sea grass area where Tilapia spin circles in the sand for nests. As I floated I watched 2 good sized grayish fish hovering in center of their sandy round cradles - until splashing swimmers caused them to dash away to hide in the weeds for safety. Lady Fish swam over the deep blue spring in thick groups of slinky silver swarms. Alas, the water was COLD and we both quickly chose to leave the magical under water world of the spring and to get warm again. On the way home, we detoured off Rt 19 to see a little bit closer the horrid damage of the latest wildfire. We passed thru a small run down area of shacks and outbuildings that had been damaged along with the dry undergrowth that had surrounded everything. The smell of fresh burnt wood was hanging thick everywhere. The "roads" thru this small cluster of humble living quarters was deeper rutted and even narrower than the logging roads in the forest. More than once H was forced to gear down and try again to make safe passage in the narrow rutted "alley". And then there was the concern about having a "good ole' boy" running out with his shotgun pointed at us and our big blue target! Time to get outa there!



And it is time to get out of here! The truck is washed and the table cloth has been removed from the picnic table. We are moving to Anastasia State Park in St Augustine. Oh yeah, and it's Bike Week! Harleys have been roaring up and down Rt 19 all day long.

Apopka Fl.

Moss Park has always been one of our favorite places to visit. Kelly Park, in Apopka, is another Orange County Park that we like and is the 3rd of the 4 Orange County parks that we have called home this trip. Like Moss, Kelly is woodsy and quiet with a winding one way road encircling the campground. What looks at first glance to be gravel, the roadbed and parking pads are really millions of seashells - some still intact, and some crushed to powder. Some of the "intact" ones are now packed away to bring home! It always and forever will amaze me as to what those beautiful little shells have gone thru and STILL some are whole and perfectly formed. They've been dug up from the ocean's bottom and dumped on roadways where heavy trucks and trailers pack them into the ground.

The weather has turned "cool" but we did manage to select the warmest/sunniest day and make a bike run to the swimming area with our snorkel equipment and wetsuits. Once there tho, we realized that the wooden boardwalk that used to meander thru the jungle to the headsprings of Rock Spring Run ( here it comes - SPFB!) had been removed and a new, longer cement walk had been built - up on the higher ground near the picnic and bath house area. The bikes were parked at the swimming area and BOTH pairs of my glasses - sun and regular - secured in the little plastic container and left in the basket of the bike. We set off with snorkel equipment and suits in hand. I chose to still wear my hat so that at least these old eyes of mine would be shielded from some of the suns bright rays. Then, all alone, we were up at the headspring and ready to cast our fragile bodies into the cold rushing waters that were gushing ( sheesh, how dramatic!) out of the deep cave and rushing by the large moss covered boulders. With H's new camera - you can now see why it is called "ROCK Springs! What was I to do with my hat? At first I tied it to the long ribbon on the back of my suit but that didn't work too well. The hat was floating faster than I was and kept getting in my way. IF there would have been an alligator - I might not have seen it due to the big wet white blob in front of my mask! Remember - last year there WAS an alligator in the run! Problem solved - I put the already wet hat on my head! No big deal! I was floating on the top of the water anyway and it was still attached to the ribbon on my suit. Yes - H DID think I looked funny and probably so did the folks who were standing on the bridge as we floated along and under! Last year I told you about all the fish and turtles we saw as we floated along and now H can prove it. Check out this nice bass! One of many!

In Moss Park there were sandhill cranes. When we drove in to Kelly Park there was a very prominent sign that said a bear had been cited! Since our big picture window faced out into the woods we - no - I was constantly scanning the forest for dark black stumps that moved. None did. However, every day a flock of at least a dozen or so big black hen turkeys played follow the leader, scratching their way thru the entire park Most days they were followed by several even bigger darker Tom Turkeys who were more interested in impressing the ladies with their puffed up chest feathers and fanned tails than hunting for their own afternoon meals.

One day after a hard morning of shopping, our afternoon meal was at "The Catfish Place" in Apopka! When we stayed in Moss Park we ate at "The Catfish Place" in St Cloud 3 times in one week. It was necessary to find out if the two restaurants were related and if this one was as good as the other. The father owns the St Cloud Place and the son owns the Apopka Place! Each scallop dinner was just a little different but still way delicious!

Wilderness Park is now home for 3 nights while we pause in the Ocala area to visit and then say our goodbyes to my sister Sharon and her hubby Richard! H broke his drill that he uses for cranking the jacks up and down so we headed to Sears before meeting D&S at Logan's Steakhouse. Nothing has changed at Wilderness RV Park and Resort in Silver Springs since last year but now it is full of RV's and motorhomes and it is cold! Temps at 7am on Sunday March 3rd were 35 degrees! It is to be even colder tonight. The trusty little heaters are doing a fine job of keeping up and the heated mattress pad is great!

We've met some nice folks in just the day or so that we've been here. Gary is a row over and has the twin to H's pretty bright blue truck except it is a 2012 eco boost with no cap and no chrome panels at the bottom! Our next door neighbors, Charlie and Diane are on their first winter adventure in their 5th wheel toy hauler that they drug down from the U.P. of Michigan! Their cat and 3 birds have accompanied them - along with a big red motorcycle - - - hence the toy hauler eh! Charlie even has the Yooper accent! Diane's dad grew up in Toledo!

On Monday we move up and over to Salt Springs Campground in the Ocala National Forest. Each time we move now we will get a little farther north and a little closer to home. I'm afraid from here on, we'll be wearing long pants. The sandals may get packed away soon, too. But - the adventure is not over yet!

Orlando - Mosspark

There are 4 Orange County Parks that have campgrounds. On this years trip we have been to Trimble Park in Mt Dora and now Moss Park in south east Orlando where all the huge airliners are in constant motion of either full flap down landing or full throttle takeoffs with their passenger compartments full of excited new tourists or exhausted weekend enthusiasts. Our favorite camp host, George is still in winter residence here and stopped over to say HELLO soon after we set up! My previously favorite site was right next to George's small motorhome and H's was all the way down near the small boat dock/fishing pier that extends out into Lake Mary Jane .SPFB!! This year however we were able to park on site 29 - - one of the biggest yet secluded sites and the closest site where Sam and Sandra - the resident sandhill crane couple have their nest just off shore, perched out in the swampy grasses. Anticipation grew as the week lengthened. When the new blond baby was just 2 days old, the proud parents brought their little one on shore. H was the first to welcome them! Just like a wobbly little toddler - the chick promptly tripped over a pinecone as it hurried to keep up with its folks who were head down, searching for something to eat in the pine needles and dry leaves.

The usual assortment of Moss Park neighbors came to welcome us or to just squawk and keep searching for their next tidbit of food as they wandered thru our yard. A quick little armadillo with its nose constantly snooting thru the thick ground cover tried to ignore H as he confronted it for a picture. The turkeys paused only a few minutes, the handful of timid deer shyly tried to pass thru each evening without anyone noticing them and the sandhill cranes were ALWAYS ready for a snack or just to yell and holler for whatever reason.. When the cranes weren't trying to outdo each other in the volume department, there was a bright red cardinal that would sit on the grill and sing for us!

Three more delicious seafood meals at the Catfish Place took care of our craving for scallops but the shops in "historic" St Cloud were a disappointment this visit. A quick stop at Joann's took care of that "itch" but without any coupons, my purchase was limited to just a few "on sale" items only. Even the flea market was a dud. The Disney Boardwalk was not! H's foot pain was under control and he found a parking spot in back of one of the half dozen resorts that border the small lake and the wide wooden walkway that surrounds it. A VERY pleasant way to spend the afternoon - just strolling, people watching and being amazed at the innovations of the Disney designers. We watched a squadron of small fiberglass boats, powered by black outboard motors, seemingly speed under the small bridges and then chase each other around the lake. H guessed their "high powered" engines were at best 9.9's and their speed was all of full throttle 10 mph! Looks sure can be deceiving! Then there was the Pirate Ship that sat with its stern to the lake and its bow facing a fascinating water park with winding streams of fast moving water and its own white sand beaches where awaiting parents watched their small sailors float by. The kids would climb aboard the big brown beached boat and deftly work their way to the top. Sliding down thru the dark brown "tube' they would end up in a circular go round before being dumped with a big pompous splash in a small pond at the foot of the slide. Out they would climb and run back to the ship for another wet trip back down! A new way to "Walk the Plank"? Slide the Tube? Our trip back to the campground was not without even more strange sights. As H pulled up in ever slowing traffic, he spotted a bright red VW ahead of us that looked as if it were being engulfed by a GIANT crustacian. The Lobster Mobile? I would imagine that the driver of that advertising nightmare was extremely thankful that the 'vehicle's windows were blackened. Either that or behind all that blackness, he was laughing hysterically at all the goofy tourists who would gawk and take numberous pictures as they passed slowly by him. Who, me?

The week is up. The new folks we've met are also moving on. Ed and Pat from Montana have their new 5th wheel packed up and are slowing heading back home. Rhonda and her husband are already back to Ft Lauderdale. Shirley and her husband are also slowly moving back north to their home state of Delaware.. And we're moving too - just north of town - to Kelly Park -- another Orange County Campground.

Melbourne

Melbourne Florida always means Wickham Park. SPFBS! That's plural since we always seem to end up there each year! Ron snagged the site next to him for us so we got to be neighbors for a week. And there was no "Wickham Shuffle" this time! The park has done some upgrading - sewer hookups are now at each site. However - IF we could have hooked up, the back of our "condo" would have been up against the pavilion that sits in the middle of the campground loop. Oh well, at the end of the week we hooked up to move and then backed up, moved over and used the sewer.

H's birthday at Phipps Park was pretty mundane and Ron's birthday on the 11th was almost the same. The difference was that we all went out to a yummy dinner at Meg O'Malleys in downtown Melbourne. Some of the items on the menu had some pretty strange names but most of the food was VERY delicious. My Shepherds Pie was fabulous. H had a blue crab and shrimp sandwich with fries and slaw. He left only bread crumbs! Dave and Lois came over to visit so of course we went out for seafood! This time we enjoyed grouper at Fishbone Willy's.

We did manage to get to the beach one time. We tried to pick the warmest, nicest day which also turned out to be a windy day. The red and purple lifeguard flags were hanging on for dear life. They were warning everyone of the rip currants that pounded the beach with each crashing wave. The damp beach was dotted with puffy blue jellyfish. We both steered clear of their dark dangerous tentacles that layed so still, waiting to sting the person who stepped on them in error.

Our elderly Toshiba laptop computer is dying a slow agonizing death. It has become increasingly slower and slower. H has tried just about everything to revive it to no avail. Hence our task for the week was to find a suitable replacement. Nearly impossible, but a newer version of Toshiba has been purchaed. Windows 8, however, is NOT H's favorite! And my easy to use and understand Juno is no more. In time we'll both get used to the new programs, I hope.

But for now, it's time to move up to my favorite Moss Park in Orlando.

Stuart Fl.

From the aqua Gulf of Mexico, all along the dark waters of the Calloosahatchee River, past all the locks and dams and now the Saint Lucie Canal on the east side of Lake Okeechobee, soon we’ll see the blue waters of the Atlantic. We’ve been one of the stacked dominos in the resort and now we are back to a sprawling campground with a view out the back window – we have arrived in Phipps Park- right on the St. Lucie Canal in Stuart. SPFB! One year, R&N, H& I parked on the same huge lot and still had plenty of room That time, H & I moved over to the Pt Lucie Lock and Dam campground. When our time here was up, but not this year. There were no “walk in” sites available there until late March. Oh well – we definitely enjoy the view of the lock and dam from our vantage point – and from sun up to the gorgeous sunsets! Boats of all sizes cross by in front of us. Sometimes their occupants would wave to the campers who were waiting on the ridge for them to pass by like triumphant heroes in a jubilant parade! There were all types of boats – tall 2 masted sailboats, beautiful cabin cruisers with sky-high flying bridges, a barge tug, and some of the most wonderful old wooden vessels with long sleek lines of dark polished wood. I wonder where they all had been and what wonderful journey were they embarking on? Were they eventually going to end up on the Mississippi River? Or just fishing in Lake Okeechobee. Going east, maybe they were going to end up in New England or just out for a day of sight seeing along the Intercostals waterway.

We had some good neighbors too! Michael and Jane from Delaware! I loved his British accent and Jane was so friendly! Their little rescue puppy was supposed to be a Jack Russell, wirehair terrier mix but “Dog” sure looked and acted like a miniature black and white border collie. It was fun to watch her stalk the local squirrel!

H’s sense of exploration has not waned on this trip. Last year we “discovered” Henderson Island and this year we did it again and introduced Flat Stanley to the rough jagged rocks! We were careful to keep him away from the crashing waves tho! At the northern end of the long narrow barrier island we ended up at the “cut” where all the boats go from the expansive Indian River out to the ocean. The accompanying rock and cement levies stretched way far out into the ocean and was lined with fishermen and hopeful pelicans. The park itself was undergoing a major restoration project so there were plenty of workers pouring new cement sidewalks. In the clear blue lagoon that was protected from the crashing waves was a lone dark lump of a manatee. We were hoping for dolphins but a manatee was good! On the mainland we had the yummiest fish and chips at Allen’s Diner where we normally have breakfast on the day when we move north. There was a sign on the wall that stated it was the oldest restaurant in Ft Pierce! Since we were in no hurry to return home we dallied along the road that ran by the river that was more of a great lake. We walked thru one of the marinas where lucky fishermen were cleaning their catches of the day. We found a little street fair with venders and performing musicians. The next day we went the other direction and headed south thru Hobe Sound and finally visited the “Roaring Rocks” but the tide was out and the waves were not close enough to the big sandstone cliffs to roar, let alone purr! We did “see” the tall red lighthouse that stood watch over that end of the island but we were not willing to pay $9 each to walk up to it. Between trips, we managed to put plenty of miles on the little bikes – always out thru the lock& dam campground and visitor center, just in case something had changed since our last ride thru. H’s birthday was not too exciting, but that’s the way he said he wanted it. He said he was just thankful to have made it to this one! 70! Whew!

And now it’s time to head north - - but not too far! We’re heading up to Melbourne and Wickham Park where we’ll meet up with R&N again!