Seven-Month Roundup - Part 2

Part 1 of our roundup covered our travels in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic. From there, we continued south - eventually all the way to Key West, Florida.

November 2023, Florida

This was the first time we had traveled to Florida in our rig. We had visited the state before (we now have our younger daughter, Doug's brother and niece, and one cousin each living in the state) but not with the rig. Our route was down the Atlantic coast to the Keys, then back up the Gulf coast, discovering some truly beautiful landscapes all along the way.

Our first Florida campground was Indian Mound Fish Camp, on the Indian River Lagoon, an estuary with its own sub-species of Bottlenose Dolphins (typically smaller than their ocean-living cousins) and with populations of manatees in the warmer inlets. We loved this campground! We woke up to manatees right outside our bedroom window, and we could walk up to the dock to watch dolphins!

Indian River Lagoon Bottlenose Dolphin, hunting fish in the relatively shallow water.

It was hard to get a good picture of the manatees that were hanging out right behind our rig. We could see the heads or ripples of a dozen manatees, and occasionally a glimpse of a broad back or flipper, but most of their massive bodies were under water.

We took a weekend break from Florida to fly to Houston, Texas for our fortieth college reunion. (How have that many years happened?!?) We did have a great time visiting with good friends, catching up with classmates, and chatting with current students, who really impressed us with their ambitions and friendliness.

Back in Florida, we continued down the Atlantic coast.

Sunset, Fort Pierce, FL.

Doug's brother was photographing the Stuart Air Show, and we spent an enjoyable day watching military aircraft maneuvers and civilian aircraft aerobatics:

We also toured the type of helicopter that Doug's father had flown in Vietnam as an Army officer.

Continuing down the eastern coast of Florida, we dropped in on the parents of Rachel, with whom Doug had ridden RAGBRAI and whose participation in the NYC IRONMAN Triathlon we had cheered (both last summer).

We next spent a few days at the southernmost point of the lower 48 states, Key West, hitting a couple of iconic spots.

The dollar-bedecked Willie T's, Key West, FL. Periodically, loosened bills are donated to charitable causes.

We stapled on our own dollar bill at Willie T's, Key West, FL.

The southernmost (civilian) point of the lower 48, Key West, FL. (The nearby military base has the true southern tip.)

A peaceful nighttime stroll through Key West, FL.

Our Key West, FL, campground.

Heading back north, we stopped in the Miami area to visit Alison's cousin (first in-person visit in almost fifty years!), then turned west to Big Cypress National Preserve. There, we had a truly memorable experience: a sunset kayak ride through sawgrass and mangroves with a small group of tourists and a knowledgeable guide. (Sadly, while we saw lots of birdlife, the alligators were all out of sight, either at the bottom or deeper into the sawgrass, after recent rains raised the water level in the Turner River.)

Launching into the Big Cypress National Preserve (though most of the actual cypress trees were logged in the first half of the twentieth century).

Sawgrass in the Big Cypress National Preserve.

Heading into the mangrove tunnels at twilight in the Big Cypress National Preserve. The park rangers cut back the tunnels each year, but we still had to lie back and pull ourselves along hand-over-hand in some smaller tunnels.

We continued up the Florida Gulf Coast to St. Petersburg/Tampa, where we enjoyed Thanksgiving with both of our daughters and their boyfriends. (One couple lives in Florida, the other traveled down from Massachusetts.) This was the first Thanksgiving without Alison's mom, but it turned out to be a really lovely family time, including remembering Carolyn. We also had the opportunity to get together with Doug's niece. (Interestingly, both of Doug's nieces are teachers, one in Florida, one in Oregon. We appreciate their service to their communities!)

Driving by the bay, St. Petersburg/Tampa, FL.

Then it was time to head 2100 miles west in seven days of driving, arriving in Tucson, Arizona ten days after leaving St. Petersburg, Florida!

Part 3 of our roundup will finish up with our travels in the Southwest and California.