Category: Travels

After looking forward to a trip to Florida to escape “Polar Vortex 2” (or whatever it was driving the brutally cold temperatures in Atlanta), I must say that the trip didn’t get off to a very good start.

First, my nifty-difty water compartment heater (a thermostatically controlled 110-volt drop light) failed–burned out bulb, I think–and the water lines at the water pump froze solid. Then, there was something weird with the toad’s brake controller (which I’ve never gotten to work the way I like anyway). The controller was activating the toad’s brakes way too hard, and holding them on for a couple seconds after I released ACE’s brakes. So, after towing for about 50 miles and getting more and more worried about the way it was not working, we decided to detach the toad and have Wendy follow me down. Ugh.

Then, we finally made it to warm and sunny Florida, except it wasn’t. While driving into Santa Rosa Beach we were struck by, no kidding, snow flurries. Right … snow flurries. It was actually warmer in Anchorage (47-degrees) than in Destin (44-degrees). What are we supposed to do, head north for the winter? Good grief.

Once at the campground, Rick and Mary were having their own issues: leaky water heater (and, of course, no suitable wrench to tighten it up), a frig that wouldn’t run on AC, something weird about getting water to the kitchen faucet. Nothing major, but a surplus of petty annoyances.

But, such is the nature of RV life, and overall nothing happened that would put a damper on the weekend. So, we set up at Topsail Hill Preserve State Park (a 5-star RV resort that happens to be a state park) and went about enjoying the Florida panhandle.

(Set up at the same site, number 134, and yes, those are the muddy tires from last week’s adventures that I still haven’t cleaned off. And this is the good side–the other side is worse.)

Saturday was a bit chilly for beachcombing, so we decided to drive along 30A and end up in Panama City where we could pick up a few items at the Camping World. We went through Seaside, which is not really my cup of tea. There’s a good reason why The Truman Show was filmed there: it really is a neighborhood that looks more like a movie set than a community.

But Seaside was nothing compared to what awaited us in the newest community, still under construction, Alys Beach. It is difficult, no impossible, to find words to describe what a weird and, well, repulsive, place that “community” is. Imagine what would happen if developers were given free reign to do something more grandiose and more ostentatious and less restrained than Dubai.

This is not actually the Temple of the Most Exalted Priestess of Wretched Excess. It’s just the pool.

Interested? Good. For a mere $7.95 million, you can put yourself in “Aspri Villa” (blech), “a 5-Star villa resting in the ultimate emerald coast community.”

Oh well … they probably look at people like me, driving around in a motorhome (yuck), and are glad for the opportunity to escape the likes of us.

So we returned to the normal world, had lunch at a little beachfront place (probably only a “C” in the food department)…

And then had a wonderful dinner of Shrimp Scampi that night…

The next day, it was off to the Pensacola Naval Aviation Museum. But first, a digression… For a while now, I’ve been developing an inclination that one of the problems with our country [I have a long list, but this is an RV’ing blog] is the small fraction of the population who have ever served in the military. As of 2013, less than 10 percent of the population has ever served in the military. Even among our so-called “leaders,” things are pretty dismal. In 1975, about 70 percent of Congress had served in the military; today, only about 20 percent (and it’s headed downward, and few children of congressmen serve in the military). Of course, our President has never served, which may have in part led to the consequences described in Robert Gates’ new book. So, when I go to a place like the Naval Aviation Museum, I’m both inspired but somewhat dismayed … I just can’t shake a sense that we have far too many Americans who simply don’t get what it means to be willing to make significant personal sacrifice for the good of the country.

[We now return you to your normal programming]

The museum itself, we were told, is the 3rd largest aviation museum in the United States, behind the National Air & Space Museum in Washington D.C. and the granddaddy of them all, the Air Force Museum in Dayton, OH. Not even in the running, but near the top on my list, is the Mighty 8th Air Force Museum in Savannah, GA. But the reason the Naval Aviation Museum is so special to me is because it has so many planes that my dad told me about as I was growing up.

The F4F (forgive the weird paint job), which my dad told me was a bear to fly for several reasons, including a two-pitch prop and a manually cranked landing gear, one that if you tried to cheat by forcing the gear down by pulling a couple G’s, would break your arm.

The F4U Corsair, AKA the “Ensign Killer” (before the technique for landing them on carriers was perfected). I remember my dad telling me that the 18-cylinder, 2000-HP engine had so much torque that a hard push on the throttle could roll the aircraft–definitely not a good thing on approach to a carrier!

The F2H Banshee–my dad was a test pilot for this airplane when we lived in Pratt KS. (Actually, the aircraft pictured is the photo-reconnaissance version (note the extended nose), and my dad flew the regular version. At least it was a model of the regular version he kept in his office.)

The drive back was uneventful, but only because we managed to sneak in just ahead of an approaching snow and ice storm scheduled to hit south Georgia and the Florida panhandle. How fitting. Snow in, snow out.

Overall statistics for the trip:
Campground costs: $42/night
Museum costs: $0 (but made a $20 donation)
Total miles: 547
Fuel Mileage/Cost: 7.97 mpg / $221.28

Just like last year, Cliff and I found ourselves at the Conecuh Springs Christian School charity hunt. This year, though, I had the opportunity to learn an important set of essential motorhome lessons:

Lesson #1: Never drive a motorhome with 10,000 lbs of weight on the rear axle onto ground softened by record rainfall. Why? Because the motorhome sinks in the mud.

(Yes, those are sticks shoved in under the tire in a vain attempt to propel the motorhome out of its self-inflicted immobility. That didn’t work either.)

Lesson #2: Once stuck in the mud, never spin the rear wheels. All that does is sink the motorhome even deeper, with the added benefit of spraying mud all over the undercarriage.

Lesson #3: Do not try to use a 4-wheel drive 1/2-ton pickup to try to pull the motorhome out: The truck can’t possibly pull a trench-bound motorhome on soft soil, so the truck gets stuck in the mud, digs itself into its own set of four trenches, and now you have two problems.

Lesson #4: If you were using a nylon tow strap to connect the now-stuck pickup to the still-stuck motorhome, be prepared for the two vehicles to have settled away from each other in opposite directions, which means you’ll have to cut the strap. Now you have three problems: two stuck vehicles and no tow strap to pull either one out.

Lesson #5: As the host of our hunt said, “The good thing about Bullock County is that you never have to wait too long for a passing tractor.” True, but if you flag down a tractor and try to pull the motorhome out backwards by the tow hitch, make sure the chain is strong enough. Otherwise, it snaps like rubber band and you’re still stuck.

(Behind the still-stuck motorhome, which just snapped the tow chain attached to the tractor, you can see the four trenches from the now-liberated pickup.)

Lesson #6: After finding a bigger chain, being able to pull the motorhome backwards does no good if the place it’s towed to is just as soft. All that produces is more trenches.

Lesson #7: If escaping the soft ground means using the tractor to pull the motorhome backwards onto the nearest dirt road, be prepared to trim the trees in the way.

Anyway, after an hour or so of adding this to the list of motorhoming lessons learned, we finally found a dry-enough campsite, set up ACE for the stay, and headed out to the hunt. The result? Four deer, including one really nice buck taken by Cliff on the first day. (We couldn’t find one of the deer at night, and decided to find it the next morning. Unfortunately, though, the coyotes found it before we did–oh well, the “circle of life” and all that.)

All things considered, the trip was great fun, memorable hunting, wonderful people, and the best home-made cooking one can hope to find.

Not only is the hunting as good as it gets, but the cause is worthy. I love the way CSCS phrases its mission: “Conecuh Springs Christian School is dedicated to the philosophy that a Christian Education is the only truly valid education. True education must be administered in a spiritual atmosphere and must recognize God as the supreme source of all knowledge and wisdom.”

Overall totals for the trip:
Miles: 170
Campsite fees: $105 (three nights)
Fuel cost: $59.13 (9.08 mpg)

Well, we continue one-by-one to introduce the grandkids to the “camping experience.” This time was granddaughter #2, Ansley, Age 4. We decided that, at her age: (1) she really needs at least one parent to come along, (2) “camping” is a relative term and probably means little more than sleeping in the motorhome, (3) activities like a swimming pool, bike riding, and S’mores by a campfire mean more than an in-the-woods experience, and (4) she doesn’t know the difference between a 20-mile trip and the 200-mile alternative, so something close is better than something far. With all of those factors, we decided on the Pine Mountain RV Resort, all of 22 miles away from the house.

All set up on the couch, some random princess in hand (I think this one is Ariel, but as explained in an earlier posting, I don’t get the whole princess thing.)

We were situated in the new area of the campground, which really hasn’t grown up yet. But it was next to the pool and came with full hook-ups and cable TV (which we didn’t watch). A full review of the campground is located here.

Upon arrival and after a quick lunch, we headed off to the Callaway Gardens butterfly house.

Unfortunately, though, it was one of those moments-with-a-four-year-old when the early warning signs of fatigue, coupled with a potentially short fuse, meant that retreat was preferable to defeat so it was time to beat feet, and back to the campground we went.

Which was fine… an afternoon of swimming …

Followed by dinner, a campfire, and s’mores…

…led to an early bedtime.

And the next morning saw the traditional bacon-egg-cheese bun (which, yet again, the LD showed no interest in even trying … what’s wrong with the children?).

And a lunchtime departure for the L-O-N-G (ha ha) drive (22 miles) back home. The full photo album of the trip is located here.

Overall statistics:
Trip miles: 44 (no kidding)
Fuel cost: $0 (not worth filling up)
Camping cost: $45
Overall value: Priceless.

I think I’m really getting into the “”Motorcoach Resort” thingie. When we first got ACE, our assumption was that we would, as we’d done with the pop-up and the trailers, camp mostly at state and federal parks. And we will. I promise. But there’s something to be said for the luxury of an RV “resort,” like my last experience with the Hilton Head RV resort. Only this time, in the midst of an Atlanta oppressive August heat/humidity assault, we headed up to Lake Toxaway, NC, and stayed at the Mountain Falls Motorcoach Resort. What a place. Although it rained every day, when it wasn’t raining the weather was cool and clear, the views were breathtaking, and the environment was, well, what one would expect from a place that bills itself as a luxury motorcoach resort.

This was our street:

(Yeah, yeah … I know … it looks a lot like the Hilton Head street, except it’s in the mountains. Right. It’s August and what we were looking for was something a lot like Hilton Head, only in the mountains.)

This is the way the “campsites” are “furnished.”

ACE was definitely the runt of the litter, but fit in acceptably well nonetheless:

And a waterfall on the grounds to add ambiance:

We played golf a couple times at the local executive course designed by a friend:

Grilled shrimp-on-the-barbie one night:

Enjoyed a beautiful sunset:

And, after dinner with friends at the Gamekeepers’s Tavern (where I had, no kidding, kangaroo steak for dinner), we headed back.

(Pheasant, duck, and kangaroo. The last item tastes like beef–maybe like a moo-cow would taste if it spend its life roaming the prairie, jumping up and down) (whatever that means)

So, what’s not to like about this “luxury” motorcoach experience? Nothing that I can think of.

This was also our first trip with the toad doing “mountain” driving. As it turns out, it was a total nonevent. We didn’t break any speed records heading up, although we were faster than the truck traffic. And coming down was fine, although it took me a while to learn how to shift manually between 3rd and 2nd to keep the speed under control. Based on this experience, I’m definitely ready for the Rockies. Well, almost.

Overall stats for the trip:
Total distance: 476 miles
Camping expense: 3 x $55/night
Fuel economy: 6.72 mpg (which is probably an average of our usual 7.8 mpg when pulling the toad, weighted on a mileage basis with about 3.1 mpg going uphill with the toad)

Well, our descent from “camping” to “luxury motorhoming” has taken another major step forward, or downward, or upward, or something. This time we went to our first motorcoach “resort,” the Hilton Head Island Motorcoach Resort. Four-hundred-plus full-hookup sites (with cable TV) , most of which are landscaped and equipped with outdoor furnishings. Plus a heated and cooled (no kidding) pool, tennis courts, recreation room, and a lake with lighted fountains. Oh, and it’s about a mile from Coligny Beach and a ton of restaurants.

This was our second trip pulling the 2006 Toyota Highlander toad, and it worked fine. And it was very nice having wheels to get around.

Our “street,” where essentially all of the motorhomes were in the 40-45′ range:

Little ACE fit in, but was obviously the dwarf of the neighborhood:

Still, it was a memorable trip. On Saturday morning, we played golf at Golden Bear Golf Club at Indigo Run. Very weird weather: low-80s, dry, and breezy. For the South Carolina coast in mid-June, it was very pleasant. That night, we had dinner at the Black Marlin Bayside Grill, and of course Wendy had her standard fried shrimp, I had a New York Strip with a side of crab legs, and we sat around for a while looking at the boats, daydreaming about doing the Great Loop someday. (That’s my dream–Wendy thinks spending 6 months on a 30-foot boat would be a lot like being in prison, with the added prospect of drowning.) Then, next day, it was off to the beach to let Sally the wonder-water-dachshund play in the water:

We didn’t take advantage as much as we could have of the various activities that HHI has to offer because, um, well, it was the weekend of the U.S. Open and we spent a ridiculous amount of time sitting in ACE watching TV. I know, I know … shame on us … but, hey, it’s the U.S. Open.

We decided we’ll definitely be back. So, we are now officially old fogeys who drive around in a motorhome and stay at RV resorts. So much for camping…

Details for the trip:
Total miles: 607
Fuel economy: 7.77 mpg (versus an average of 8.43 when not pulling the toad)
Total camping expenses: $199.80
Golf: $39 x 2
Dinner at the Black Marlin Bayside Grill: $72.63+$14

Several years ago, when the younger son was in flight training at Fort Rucker, all four families met up at FD Roosevelt State Park near Pine Mountain, Georgia, for a weekend of family camping. We picked a site suitable for our trailer, and Son Number Two picked an adjacent site, below us, and nicely flat for the tent he and his wife were using.

It was either this site, or one very similar:

Problem was, during that trip it rained, and it rained, and it rained, until the flat area was completely flooded. And this trip? Same deal: It rained, rained, rained, and rained more, until it looked like this.

Last time, we toughed it out. This time, we quit. Really. FDR State Park is only 30 miles from home and if we were going to be stuck indoors, reading books, watching TV, while it rains cats and dogs outside, we decided we’d rather be at home. So we decamped and headed home.

Oh well … FDR is one of our favorite state parks. We’ll be back soon, but hopefully next time it will be somewhat drier!

OK, so it’s a little weird to go “camping” four miles from our house. Except that we’ve got our granddaughter with us, and little kids think “camping” is special, even if it’s in the driveway. And also, we plan to take the grandkids with us on trips from time to time, so this makes for a perfect shakedown trip: one grandchild, good weather, with home just a few minutes away in case we need to beat a hasty retreat.

So, all site up at Site 79, Holiday Campground, West Point Lake:

The next day it’s breakfast…

Followed by playing at the playground and making new friends…

Followed by several hours of building a really awesome canal system at the lake so that … um … I forget … because that’s what six-year-olds do?

At one point, for reasons that defy anything but canine logic, Sally-the-Wonder-Dachshund decided to wade into the water and drag the leaves and sticks out of the water and onto the shore. Since we had a pretty stiff onshore breeze, the task for formidable. Check out the video in the photo album linked below.

Then dinner…

And finally, sitting by the campfire at the end of the day, preparing the obligatory s’mores…

All things considered, I’d say the trip was pretty successful. We ended up surprisingly worn out, but now well informed on the demands of traveling in a motorhome with a six-year-old. I suppose the next test will be to take two at once, with the objective of learning whether it’s harder (like geometrically harder) or easier (because they can keep themselves entertained). We shall see… Here’s a link to the photo album.

When the kids were young, we had a Coleman pop-up. We didn’t have a lot of spare money, so our regular get-aways were to pull the camper up the road to Lake Lanier and camp at one of the many Corps of Engineers campgrounds there. But once a year, at Thanksgiving, for our big vacation, we would haul the pop-up down to Orlando, and “camp” at Disney’s “Fort Wilderness” campground.

It’s impossible to describe what a completely wonderful experience those trips were. Of course, the kids loved Disney World, but actually they loved camping at Fort Wilderness just as much. In fact, we would always book one extra day so that the kids could just enjoy the campground.

Well, they’re grown and now have their own LDs (“Little Darlings”) and the plan is to start anew, this time with Nana and Grandpa hauling the camper (except this time it’s a motorhome) with the LDs down to Fort Wilderness and Disney World. First step, though, a “scouting trip.” (I thought that was going to be a fake excuse, but it turned out that a “scouting trip” was exactly what we needed. Life at WDW gets a lot easier if one knows the ropes.)

So, here’s the route:

Wednesday, 20 February: LaGrange to Blythe Island Regional Park Campground (Brunswick, GA). Just an ordinary drive angling east across Georgia. But it was our first stay in a county campground. Ever. As many years as we’ve been camping (30+) neither Wendy nor I could ever remember staying in a county campground before. Anyway, it was basically fine. Dirt roads, dirt sites, a little narrow in places, but really pretty darn good. A short review of the facility is here.

Thursday, 21 February: Blythe Island to Fort Wilderness. We were so excited that neither one of us could sleep, so we woke up early, unhooked, and were on the road by 07:45. Good grief–how old are we anyway?

And then we fell into even giddier excitement when we got to Fort Wilderness around 2:00 pm. After a quick and easy check-in, we were directed to our site (number 355). My recollection is that we always stayed at the “Preferred” sites (100-200-300 loops) because they are closest to the “Outpost,” water taxis, marina, and other activities. The other options are tent camping sites, “Full Hookup” sites, and “Premium” sites, which are big-rig friendly. As we were driving in, I had a moment of angst as I realized that our prior trips had been in a pop-up camper and now I was arriving in a motorhome having declined to get a big-rig friendly site. Oops. I felt somewhat better as I saw all of the other motor homes parked in our loop, and then somewhat worse as I missed crashing into them only by an uncomfortable (for me) margin. But we eventually found our site, I successfully backed in (all of the sites at Fort Wilderness are back-in), and we got set up.

We spent a little time exploring the campground on bicycle (more about that in Sunday’s report), and I quickly was reminded of what a wonderful, magical place this really is.

We then decided to take a motor launch over to the Wilderness Lodge resort for dinner. (Pause on that sentence for a while–how many campgrounds are there in the world where it’s possible to utter a sentence about taking a motor launch to another resort for dinner?)

Like most things at Disney, it helps to do some early planning and to know how the system works. Fortunately, Fort Wilderness has its own concierge (another sentence worthy of pause) who made reservations for us at the Artist Point restaurant. I’m going to try to avoid a constant stream of effusive praise, but this one meal was in many ways a symbol of our whole Disney experience. The restaurant was beautiful, the service was perfect, but most of all the meal was extraordinary. Wendy ordered one of the house specialties: buffalo prepared using some method of searing the meat and high-pressure cooking and hitting the right temperature (64 degrees C) and, well, I’m not really sure. All I can say is that the meat was as tender, juicy, and flavorful as any filet I have ever had. Another sentence for pause: how many campgrounds are there where an on-premises restaurant serves up unforgettable gourmet meals?

Friday, 22 February: EPCOT. This blog post could certainly get unwieldy if I went on and on about what we did at EPCOT, replete with pictures and movies (which I have in more than ample number) We did the usual stuff: rides in the morning (Soarin’ twice, Test Track twice, Mission Space, plus a number of other random rides here and there) and then did World Showcase in the afternoon. All of which culminated that afternoon with a wonderful concert of patriotic music in celebration of Presidents’ Day, a performance by Chinese acrobats doing feats that must have been fake because no humans can possibly do such things, and then dinner at a Moroccan restaurant, with a dinner show featuring a belly dancer (who also gave belly dancing lessons to the children in attendance).

Saturday, 23 February: Magic Kingdom. What can one say? It truly is a magical place. Admittedly, it would have been better if we had several little darlings in tow (we’re already planning that for next year). But even without the LDs, I enjoyed simply seeing what can be done by an organization that sets a goal to make something wonderful for children and then lets its imagination run free.

To be honest, I don’t really get the princess thing. All of our granddaughters have gone off the princess deep end, and much of the Magic Kingdom experience is geared to LDs with princess fixations/OCD. And, of course, the princesses are only part of the “character encounter” experience that Disney offers. But I’m old and basically crotchety. If I jettison that disposition for a moment, I must admit there is simply nothing as magical as watching a child’s eyes light up, literally sparkle, when Cinderella, really Cinderella, takes her by the hand. Or when Winnie the Pooh, Tigger, Eeyore, and the others invite all of the children at dinner to join in a musical march around the restaurant.

(I know, I know … but this is just one of numerous pictures that we had to take of Wendy with various princesses–I think this one is Cinderella–so we could e-mail it back to the granddaughters with something like, “Look who Nana met!”)

Sunday, 24 February: Fort Wilderness Campground. The original plan was to play golf, but the weather was a little cool and drizzly, so we decided to spend the day just touring around the Fort Wilderness campground. Incidentally, when we asked the concierge how to arrange for golf, we were told that (1) they would send a baggage cart to transport us and our golf clubs to the Settlement Depot, (2) from where Disney would provide complimentary taxi service to whatever golf course we desired. I’d say that is not a common campground experience.

I guess this is the point of this glowing review: after deciding not to play golf, we rode our bikes around and checked out the swimming pool, the water play area, the canoe and kayak rentals, the stables, the fishing ponds, the Hoop-Dee-Doo Review venue, the movie and campfire area (where Disney has a Chip ‘n’ Dale sing-a-long every night), the marina and boat rental area, and the bicycle and jogging paths, plus probably other areas I just don’t remember. (See the Fort Wilderness map here.) I guess that’s one last sentence that deserves pause: there are so many things to do (apart from the theme parks), that listing them strains memory and turns into a run-on sentence. For how many campgrounds on earth is that the problem?

But eventually, the trip had to end, and we’d be leaving the next day…

After dinner at the Trail’s End Restaurant, we did take a motor launch over to the Contemporary Resort, then the monorail to the Grand Floridian Resort & Spa where we listened to a jazz orchestra for a while, then the monorail over the the Magic Kingdom were we watched the fireworks, and then a different motor launch back to the campground. (I know I said no more calling out sentences that demand pause, but let the preceding sentence rattle around for a while in the campground evaluation section of your brain.)

Monday, 25 February: Drive back to LaGrange. Our original thought was that we’d do a leisurely two-day trip back, stopping at Cedar Key for the afternoon and overnight, but the weather was turning nasty (cold, rain and thunderstorms, wind, flood warnings, and everything else short of locusts and falling frogs), so we just decided to beat feet home. A 439-mile trip; long, but doable.

Overall Evaluation: The Fort Wilderness/Disney World experience is definitely a 10 out of 10. Or maybe 11 out of 10. I simply cannot imagine any place on earth where every activity you experience reflects a passion for excellence, where every employee you encounter has no other goal than to make sure you’re happy, and where the range of enjoyable options is essentially inexhaustible.

I spent some time reading online reviews of Fort Wilderness and almost all of them are as glowing as my own evaluation, but, much to my surprise, there were a number of people who gave it ratings of 7, or even 5. In reading their comments, though, I felt real sadness for them: carping that the sites were too small, the campground was crowded, there were too many dogs and children (sometimes treating them as a single category), everything was too expensive, and so on. If someone visits a magical place like Fort Wilderness and Disney World and comes away with memories of barking dogs, I wonder if there isn’t something wrong deep down? Or, maybe it’s this: I struck up a conversation with some random woman visiting the Magic Kingdom and she said, “Boy, I really love this place.” I replied, “Yes, it’s really a great place to be.” And then she said something I’ll never forget: “I guess if you’re not happy here, there aren’t a lot of places you’ll ever be happy.” My thoughts exactly.

Statistics for the trip:
Total miles: 978
Fuel economy: 7.62 to 9.74 mpg, average 8.58
Camping expenses: $112/night for Fort Wilderness, plus resort fees, meals, extras.

To us, the Florida state parks are among the best, and one of the best of those is Topsail Hill Preserve. My recollection is that the park, also known as the Gregory E. Moore RV Resort, used to be a private RV resort and somehow ended up in the hands of the state. In any event, the park is located about 15 miles east of Destin and is a jewel of a campground: beautiful paved sites, nicely separated, full hookups (including cable TV), great location on the beach, close to lots of attractions, and so on. It’s hard to imagine doing much better East of the Mississippi. Click here for our review.

Saturday, 26 January
For this trip, we caravanned with our good friends, Rick and Mary Horder, and had adjacent sites near the back of the campground.

ACE at Site 134.

The Horder’s 40-foot Holiday Rambler at Site 136.

Cocktails before heading over to Dewey’s in Destin for dinner. (How’s that for alliteration?)

Sunday, 27 January
When we were last here in November 2004, it was shortly after Hurricane Ivan. We had planned to visit Fort Pickens on the Gulf Islands National Seashore, but as you can see from the photos below, Ivan went directly over the island and Fort Pickens, well, was inaccessible except to scuba divers.

The amount of devastation was stunning. Buildings were lifted off their foundations and moved tens of feet toward the mainland, the road was obliterated, and I can’t even imagine what water damage must have occurred to the infrastructure. But now, a mere 8 years later, the facility is open and, except for the trees shorn off about 15 feet up, I could see no evidence of hurricane damage.

28 January
We spent only a little time at the beach (in this case, some no-name Okaloosa County public beach down the road from Topsail Hill):

Wendy resolved to have seafood every night while we were in Florida, which was perfect for the Horders, so we ate out for the first couple nights. But Monday night we stopped by Blaylock’s in Destin, picked up some shrimp and crab, and cooked out.

Shrimp on the barbie

Seafood dinner under the stars (except (1) it was cloudy and (2) we were actually under the awning).

The photo album for the trip can be found here.

Statistics for the trip:
Total miles: 522 miles
Camping expenses (3 nights): $126.00
Average mileage: 7.79 (pulling the toad)

Next planned trip: Disney Fort Wilderness at the end of February.

In 2002, my younger son (Robert) and I went on a hunting trip to Bullock County, Alabama, while he was home on Christmas leave from West Point. As it turned out, the hunting lodge burned down, but that’s another story. As we were driving along touring the area, we happened upon a guy in camo walking along the side of the road with a rifle slung over his shoulder. I stopped and asked, “Need a lift?” and he replied, “Boy, that would be great.” As we were driving along, we mentioned that we were visiting on a hunting trip and he asked, “You wouldn’t by any chance want to come back hunting next month, would you?”

It turns out that the hunting possibility he mentioned occurred because the local school, the Conecuh Springs Christian School, had a great idea for a fundraiser: the local landowners would take you to their absolutely favorite, private property hunting spots, if and only if you made a suitable donation to the school. I started going on these trips back then, and have pretty much gone every year since. In 2011, my older son (Cliff) came with me; in 2012, both sons came.

This year, though, had an extra attraction. The local hotel, which was pretty, um, “minimal” anyway, had a change of ownership and the hunt sponsor was suggesting that we might want to consider alternative housing arrangements. As it turns out, a local hunting lodge was available, but the lodge also had RV hookups! Hunting and RVing! What could be better? We booked our reservations at the Greenway Sportsman’s Club [Edit: Removed broken link] and off we went.

The RV area was basically OK: just a grassy area, but with full hook-ups (including cable TV!), although the weather was cold enough that we stuck to power only and relied on the onboard water supply.

There had been a lot of rain lately, making the ground somewhat soft, and I had some difficulty finding a level spot, and the leveling boards kinda sunk in the soil, and the automatic stabilizers wouldn’t deploy. Hmmm. But we eventually got a satisfactory setup, enough to use the bedroom slideout at least, and ACE provided a great base camp for the hunting trip.

As usual, meals were provided by the school in the school cafeteria. Thursday night was fried catfish, Friday night was steak, and Saturday night was BBQ, with each meal accompanied by an unbelievable assortment of home-made desserts!

The hunting, as usual, was perfect. Cliff and I took 5 deer over the course of 2-1/2 days, but easily could have taken more. At one point, no kidding, I had roughly 24 deer in front of me.

Me, with a H-U-G-E doe taken one afternoon.

Like all good things, though, the trip eventually ended, the chapter closes, and it’s back to the real world. Not to worry, though, we already placed our deposit and we’ll be back next year. More pictures of the trip can be found here.

Statistics for the trip:
Camping fees: $75 ($25 per night, CSCS special rate)
Total miles: 177
Fuel used: 22.84 gal
Mileage: 7.75 MPG