IT'S NOW JAN. 21ST, 2017 - I'M WAY BEHIND....

Here are some pictures of the last 3 weeks::

Space 18 at Sunshine Holiday Daytona

After we left Jupiter, we headed to Daytona Beach.  We actually stayed at a park in Ormond Beach, called Sunshine Holiday Daytona.  It was nice enough at first glance  but our spot was right next to the water treatment plant and a huge generator.... Glenda immediately said she wanted a different spot, but I said "Oh, don't worry, it'll be fine"  (note to self... If Glenda has a feeling,,, follow her instincts!!)  On the first night, at about 0130, there was a car pole accident out on the main road that knocked out the power.  There were sirens outside, but nothing compared to the noise on the inside of the trailer.  :-). 


THEN,  because the whole park is out of power, the maintenance guy comes over and starts the generator, because the water plant needs to be running or everybody has to boil their water.  So not only is there the constant din of a big diesel generator going outside, there is an irate wife the inside of the trailer.
not a good night.  Sorry Honey for not listening to you.






We did have a good next day though.  A trip to the Daytona International Speedway.  The tour was great.

Driving on Daytona Beach with 35mph winds and Cold !!  Still fun to drive for miles along the beach.

We did the All Access Tour at Daytona - a Must Do if you ever get there !

You can't tell, but the finish line is sloped at 18 degrees.  We're trying to stand up vertical..

Driving the Track and Getting All the Details at each Turn - Awesome !

The New Grandstand Completed - Toured Special Boxes - Inside and Out pretty incredible !

Jack Scroggins, Glenda's Dad grew up a fan of  Fireball Roberts.

After we left Daytona Beach,  we went to Fort Clinch State Park on Amelia Island (North of Jacksonville on Coast).  This is the northern most point you can get in Florida.  Across the river is Georgia.  This park really was cool.  The drive into the park is actually designated as a historical point because of the trees being covered in Spanish Moss.  It just looks cool to me.  The pictures don't do it justice.


Just as soon as we were set up in our spot, this little fella came by (yes Armadillo are everywhere).  Boy, Piper was real curious.

Here are a few of the Fort.  I am amazed that our forefathers were able to build things like this fort way out in the boonies.  The bricks had to be shipped in from New York and Pennsylvania. (there's a lot of them). This fort was active during the civil war and later even saw duty during WWII.  Great park.

Beaches all along here were dog friendly.  Glenda had never seen a beach made up entirely of shells.  really there was a layer of shells under the sand and at low tide it was exposed.  We really have to stop collecting stuff during our travels, our tires are gonna pop soon.

She's wondering if this is me trying to kill her again.

Alligator was here yesterday.

Just a swamp, nobody home here

Everyone comes out to watch the sunset each night.

This was our sunset that evening.

From Amelia Island, we headed to Spirit of the Suawanee Music Festival and campground.  We came in on a Friday on a weekend where there was no big outdoor concert being held.  There was a band on Friday night and another group playing in the music hall called "Lettuce" on Saturday night.  Our first clue that this place was going to be fun, was when we came back in late on Friday night.  WE had gone over to meet up with Jackie and Randy at Steven Foster State Park for dinner, and when we returned this place was loud!  And full of people in tie die, and what I'll call 60's garb.  The next day we toured around the 800 acre park and quite frankly, I can't describe what we saw.  Kind of reminded me of a 60's or early 70's commune/Woodstock/hippie hangout/pot smoking something...
There were literally thousands of tents out in the primitive areas,

This is the Bat house.

sculputures made of old pallets

Yea you know what I'm going to do...........

I've got wood.

beach area after the kids left, "Way Down upon the Suawanee River"

This is the Chapel.

This area was totally covered in tents the day before.





our spot out in the more conservative section.  Notice we are all but alone.

When we left here, we went to Jackie and Randy's house to driveway surf for a couple days.


Then headed to Henderson State Beach in Destin, FL.

NEW YEARS IN MIAMI - Courtesy of Joe and Cindee Sirgany

When we left the Keys, traffic was light and it was a beautiful day.  And it was only about a 2 hour drive up to South Miami, where we were going to driveway surf at Glenda's old room mate/friend's home.  Yea,  Free park rent!!  After getting backed into the driveway, and all set up, it was time to catch up.  Of course we forgot to take any pictures of those first several hours!

Later that evening, the 3 girls got a chance to gab it up around the pool.  Also visiting from Jamaica was Joe's cousin, Steve Sirgany, his wife Lisa and 3 children.  They  had come up to visit and spend Christmas, and of course do a bunch of shopping.  Apparently their dollar goes a lot longer in the states.  They also accomplished on this trip completion of a racing school for their 14 year old.  He has been racing carts since age 7 and he apparently has talent "on loan from God" as it were, and his dream of becoming a formula 1 race car driver is only a few years and a few sponsors away.  I learned lot about racing...

Glenda, Barbara Privette, Lisa Sirgany, and petting Piper behind Glenda is Lisa's daughter Christina.

Lisa, Glenda and Barbara chatting

New Years Eve snacks...

Glenda's knee, Barbara and Cindee

The 3....

On New Years day, the men went Skeet shooting.  Joe and cousin Steve are at the competition level.  Their love of the game came from their fathers, and they are both pretty good.  They took me out to the range and I was successful at embarrassing myself at almost each station.  I've shot trap a couple times, but wow, Skeet is an entirely different animal.  Way quicker.  But it was fun.  And I did make a few hits. :-)

On the 2nd, the "Jam" Sirganys had to leave, I think they loaded up 14 suitcases and everyone of them had at least 1 carry on!!  LOT'S of shopping  :-).

 One thing about partying with laid back Jamaicans is that you don't get much sleep, so we hide out in the trailer for a few hours and rested up.  Later that afternoon we went to dinner at the

Here are Barbara/Richard, Joe/Cindee and Us

Blackpoint Marina restaurant.  Glenda has good recollections of what this place used to be, because this is where her dad would either rent a boat and go out fishing with his 2 girls, or later in life this is where he docked his own boat.  I even have a vague recollection of what this place was, but holy cow, it has changed a bunch.  It's bigger, fancier, and has lots more facilities.  And a great dockside restaurant.

Everyone said their goodbyes that night to Richard and Barbara, as they needed to head out early the next morning.  But before we went back to Cindee and Joes's, we drove by several of Glenda's childhood homes in Cutler Ridge area and her old church.   

The next day was our day to head out.  We had breakfast and said goodbyes of our own with Cindee and Joe, hitched up our wagon and headed north again.

We were off on about a 2 hour trip to Jonathan Dickenson SP. 

It was up north of West Palm Beach in Jupiter where Glenda's nephew Christopher lives.

We had 4 days scheduled at Jonathan Dickenson, and it turned out we could have spent several days more.  We did get in a kayak trip on the Loxahatchee River, a day at Jupiter Beach, a couple nature walks to explore the sights and features in the park.   

Glenda and I also had the opportunity to visit her old high school friends Wes Clark and Sharon Marks, see their beautiful home and have drinks at the Marina fun to share good times for Glenda 50 years later.   The next evening it was nice to have dinner with Christopher and his girlfriend Jen at our RV and catch up with their lives.  Of course Glenda couldn't resist talking real estate with Jen.

As I said we could have easily spent 2 more days looking around Jupiter Beach.

The highlights for me were the river kayak trip, where I so much wanted to see an alligator, (but didn't) and the visit with Chris.

Can you see the Gar Fish?

Check out the Turle on the Mangrove Root

Open your eyes son!

WE did see an alligator up close and personal that was sunbathing along the bike trail.  Man they let those things just walk around anywhere they want to! 

And next time...