Melbourne Beach, FL Christmas Lights & a Concert

Our good friend Gloria had a birthday last week and we took her out to breakfast to help celebrate it.  Then later that night we joined Gloria, Doug and three of their friends for a nice birthday dinner at a local Texas Roadhouse restaurant.  We all had a nice meal and the beer was cold so it was an all around great evening.

Later on that evening we attended a concert at the Melbourne Community center.  The local orchestra played a number of Christmas songs and a high school senior sang a couple songs.  She had a fantastic voice and received a standing ovation from the crowd.   

We were directly across the road from Gloria & Doug's campsite and could see them sitting outside enjoying the nice breeze and sun.  They had been parked where we were but the salt spray damaged their previous coach so much they moved across the road.

One evening we drove around Melbourne checking out the Christmas lights.  One particular block is known for everyone putting up great decorations each year.  They did a great job and we enjoyed seeing the decorations.

Our week was almost up at the park but the day before we were scheduled to leave, the mechanic showed up to repair the radiator.  He kept delaying his arrival and it didn't look good for him finishing the job.  Finally, he showed up and worked on the unit for 2.5 hours to finish the job.   This was a different person from the initial problem I wrote about earlier.  He drained all the old anti-freeze from the system and refilled it with 10 gallons of new anti-freeze.  He tested it and we were finally ready to hit the road.

We made the drive from Melbourne Beach to Seffner, FL and didn't run into any heavy traffic.  It was slow going through Kissimmee, FL but overall we made good time and pulled into the Lazydays Campground in time to relax for a while.  It's a very nice campground and part of the Lazydays RV sales and service group.  

A visit with friends Mann & Carolyn is on the calendar for Friday night.  We last saw them in September on our way down to Roanoke Rapids for our grandson's wedding.  It will be nice to see them and their new house in Redington Shores, FL.

That's what we've been up to lately, how about you?

Melbourne Beach, Florida

I wrote about our drive down to Melbourne Beach and the broken radiator hose problem took over the blog at the end.  Time to backtrack a little and show some of the views on our way down here.

There are numerous bridges to cross north of Jacksonville and the sailboat in the river below framed the area very well.

 We took I-295 south on the east side of Jacksonville.  There is one very high bridge that allows large ships to pass under it to the docks in the area.  It is very steep and must have a 10 degree rise to it at least.  Combined with the heavy traffic, wind and it made for an interesting drive.

The photo below shows how steep the roadway is.  The view from the bridge was beautiful but I had to keep my eyes on the road.  Gerry took a couple pictures through the dirty windshield.

 It was all downhill at this point and I was glad to see it.  The right lane was closed off and everyone wanted to get around us and were driving aggressively. 

 Our friends Gloria & Doug took us on a sightseeing tour of Melbourne Beach, Cocoa Beach and other towns in the area.  But first we stopped at a nice breakfast stop for some coffee and great food to see us through the day.

 We stopped by the Cocoa Beach pier to check it out.  It is full of touristy shops.  Parking used to be free.  Now it is $10 and the parking lot was almost empty.   I guess during the high season vacationers gladly pay the fee in order to visit the pier.

 Next up was Port Canaveral and there was a cruise ship docked in the area.  It was hard to get a good picture due to all the traffic.  The casino boats are down the road to the right, however they were out to sea with all the gamblers. 

 I found a ready made snack bar to buy and it even had my name on it.  I would imagine it is way out of our price range so I didn't inquire about the place.

 We are parked on the beach and it was a short walk to the water.  It was windy that day so I didn't take advantage of how close it is to the Atlantic Ocean.  The waves were large enough to surf on and a couple people had on wet suits and were out there. 

 This beautiful home was all lit up for Christmas and Gerry managed to get this photo just before sunset.  They had many lights that were going on and off in time with music and it was impossible to capture all the lights. 

I looked into repairing the radiator leak but the only way to fix the problem correctly was necessary to drain out all the old fluid.  The previous owner had put in antifreeze that was wrong and since there were about 7-10 gallons of old fluid in the radiator I couldn't drain it all legally.  So, I called a local diesel repair place nearby and they said it would be Tuesday before they could come to the campground.

That was some of the things we did in the area.  It was windy and rained a little as a cold front moved through but the temps were very pleasant.  Nice to be back in Florida.

Fort Clinch State Park, Fernandina Beach, FL

December 5-7, 2016

We have been fans of Fort Clinch SP for a number of years.  We have camped there numerous times when we used to spend parts of the winter months in the Florida Keys.  Now it was a convenient stopover and we also loved being right on the beach.

Sand dunes at Ft Clinch

We snared a campsite on the beach and managed to fit into the space.  The sand had drifted over the back of the site and we barely were able to park there.  It was a water and electric site only but worked fine for the three days we were there.

We had great weather the whole time we were there and managed to make it down to the beach.  Gerry went looking for sea shells and I found a nice bench to sit on to enjoy the scene.

Long fishing pier  on horizon.  Closed to Hurricane Matthew damage.

The shrimp boat was coming back to port and moving along at a good clip.  It is hard to see the boat due to the distance away from shore.  The port of Fernandina Beach was it's destination and in the past we would go down and buy some fresh shrimp if they made it available.

The picture/art work below was made out of pennies.  Someone had to be very patient to glue all these pennies to a canvas.  It actually looked very nice and could be bought for pennies.

 Gerry liked to see the sailfish over my head and took this photo. I hadn't noticed the fish when I sat down and wondered what she was doing.

We know that one day fairly soon we will have to move back into a house and have been looking for a house and location that would meet our needs.  There was a very nice home available in a development near Yulee, FL and it really perked our interest.  It was a little larger than what we need but haven't ruled it out.  They will be building houses in the development for another year or so, so we have time to check out other locations.

While I was sitting at the beach a man walked by and stopped to chat.  He and his wife and children were playing on the beach but then he was on his way back to their RV.  He mentioned he worked from the RV and wanted to full time for a while.  They had a home in New England and he said it was difficult to sell his home due to the glut of homes on the market.  Since they home school their children, the sale of the house was the only thing holding them back.  We have run into a number of younger people trying to live this lifestyle.  It seems to be growing with them and they're becoming work campers in an effort to make it happen for them.

We took A1A past Amelia Island and down to the Mayport area near Jacksonville.  We picked up I-95 at Jacksonville.   It was going to be an easy drive to Melbourne Beach, FL where we intended to stay at a campground where our friends Gloria & Doug were spending the winter.  We managed to get back on A1A and were driving through Melbourne Beach when suddenly our engine water temperature shot up and I had to pull off the highway onto a narrow side street and shut down the engine.

The fluids were flowing out of the motor home near the bay where the Aqua Hot water heater was located.  Not good!  I called Doug and Gloria and they came by to give us a hand.  There was a large vacant lot next to the house where we were. I asked if I could move the motor home there to take a look at it.  The man said the landlord didn't like anyone to use the lot, but when I asked if I could get some water to fill the radiator he said sure and while I was pouring water into the radiator he was checking hoses to see where the leak was.

It turned out that a four inch long hose had split and all the coolant had spilled out into the bin and on the road.  Finally, the man said to pull the RV onto the lot and he could fix the problem.  He was a mechanic and assured me it would be a quick fix.  Doug and I went for a new hose and coolant and were back quickly.  True to his word the stranger crawled into a small space and changed out the hose.  I had only purchased two gallons of coolant and it barely registered on the gauge.  Since I was so close to the campground and there was very little traffic, I decided to drive there and finish the job.

The mechanic wouldn't take any money and said Merry Christmas.  He had a young son so I gave him some money and said to buy him a Christmas present from us.  He agreed to this but wouldn't take any more money from me.  It was unbelievable we broke down right in front of his home and he was so nice to fix the problem.  There really are kind people out there!

I still have some work to do to finish the repair and to make sure I have the correct coolant in the radiator.  That will have to wait until Monday when I can call Cummins about what is the correct coolant.   It's never simple with a motor home and it seems something is always breaking or malfunctioning.  Such is life on the road.

Fort McAllister State Park, Richmond Hills, GA

We were exhausted after all the visiting, eating and celebrating while we were visiting with the family.  Savannah, GA was our intended destination but the campground where we typically stay was full and they didn't know when an opening would come up.  No problem, that is why we have wheels on our house. 

Alternative Destination Fort McAllister.
 Located south of Savannah on the banks of the Ogeechee River, this scenic park showcases the best-preserved earthwork fortification of the Confederacy. The earthworks were attacked seven times by Union ironclads but did not fall until 1864—ending General William T. Sherman’s “March to the Sea.” Visitors can explore the grounds with cannons, a furnace, bombproof, barracks, palisades and more, while a Civil War museum contains artifacts, a video and gift shop.

Nestled among giant live oaks, Spanish moss and salt marsh, this park is a beautiful location for camping, fishing, boating and picnicking. Seven cabins sit on stilts near the marsh, surrounded by palm trees and palmettos. The shaded campground is bordered by tidal Redbird Creek, a boat ramp, fishing dock and nature trail. A large picnic area offers river views and playgrounds, while another boat ramp provides access to the Ogeechee River.

The wheels were rolling early on December 1 heading south.  I had called Ft McAllister SP to see if they had any sites available and they said come on down.  There was a film crew taking over the whole campground for the making of a movie.  I don't know what the name of the movie will be but a Ranger said they film many horror movies in the area.  The film crew left behind these two pieces of equipment on the causeway.

We arrived after dark and checked in with the office and made our way to the campsite.  I had to use the spotlight on the mh along with the docking lights to wind my way through the narrow road with huge trees along each side of the road.  It was pitch black and all I could think of was that I would miss a turn and be in trouble.

The pull through site we had was parallel to the road and had a narrow opening to drive into.  Did I mention there were trees along both sides of the road?  We finally parked the mh and got setup for the night.  Water and 30amp electric only were available.

It was too late to fix dinner so we went to the Fish Tales restaurant for dinner.  It was a quaint place on the river with a marina attached to it.  We entered the front door and it was the bar area and of course everyone turned around to see who we were.  Satisfied we weren't a threat, they turned back to their drinks and chatter.

The dining room was in the back with a view of the river (pitch black outside), so we didn't see much.  I had a hankering for a nice grouper meal but at $19 I decided on all you can eat baby catfish.  Gerry ordered crab ravioli in cajun sauce.  The conch fritters appetizer was good, but not up to the Florida Keys standard.

I should have asked to see the "baby catfish" dinner before I ordered it.  They really were babies and we would have used them for bait back in Illinois.  It was difficult to remove the meat from the fish since they were so small.  They were tasty and the beer was cold so it ended up being a nice meal.

Gerry's crab ravioli turned out to be very good and she enjoyed it very much.  The glass of shock top beer hit the spot also.

The restaurant had a lot of character with nautical things all over the place.  The tables and chairs were painted different colors and fit in very well.  It was decorated for Christmas and had lights all over the place.  I'm not sure what the dough man guarding the door fit in with the decor, but it looked neat.

 I wanted to check the bait tanks outside but they were locked down really good.  I should have gone back during the day to check out the place but we decided to rest up and just relax.



The hurricane that came through the area the first of October really clobbered the State Park.  There were huge sections of trees that were blown down all over the place.  The road leading into the park had huge trees cut up and laying along side of the road.  All the damage was caused by the wind and very little water damage.  That was a surprise to me since the park is an island and right on the ocean.

Used to be full of trees

Over 400 trees were destroyed during the hurricane.

Foggy day in the park

I went geocaching while we were there and picked up a number of caches.  They were very easy finds since I think they were directed toward children finding them.  Hey, I'm not proud, I will look for them also.  One cache was near a sign warning about alligators in the area.

Sunday night there was a parade of boats all decked out for Christmas.  We saw a couple but there wasn't any parking and we weren't sure how long the parade would last.  And we still had to fix dinner.  

All in all we were there for 5 nights and enjoyed the peace and quiet along with the nights being black from lack of street lights.   That helped us sleep better, too.

We had made a reservation for Fort Clinch SP in Fernandina Beach, FL and pulled out early in the morning for the 122 mile drive down here.  It's been 4 years since we've been in Florida and it feels good to be back even if it is only for 3 weeks or so.  It's 74 degrees with 86% humidity as I type this.  

That's what we've been up to, how about you?

Oh, btw our visit count has gone up a lot these past few days.  For some reason Russian visitors have been driving up the count by 200-300 hits a day.  I think it's a bot that is trying to crack my logon password.  If they get in, I can't imagine they would be interested in the actual blog.

Progressive Thanksgiving Day

Gerry and I spent much of October and November in the Charlotte, NC area visiting with our daughter and son and their families.  We camped at the Camping World CG near Lowes Motor Speedway and a couple weeks in our son's driveway.  He has a 30amp electric box for us and water, but no sewer hookup.

When we left the campground and drove to his house Gerry had an unfortunate accident.  She was running with flip flops on and fell on the driveway and injured her knee and ankle.  At first she thought the pain would go away quickly, however it became worse as time went by.  Finally, she decided it was time to visit an Urgent Care center and see what the damage was.  Severe sprain of the knee and damage to the ankle was the diagnosis.  

She nursed the knee and ankle and it didn't seem to be getting better and we went to another more professional Urgent Care center where the doctor seemed more interested in her problem.  After multiple x-rays and an ultrasound, he said there were no broken bones.  He added that it would take time to heal and to keep the leg above her heart as much as possible.   

Before we knew it, it was Thanksgiving and our daughter Cassie, Jack and Belle came down to celebrate with us.  Niece Erin and her family also came down to celebrate with us and Larry & Jane made their house available for Thanksgiving dinner.  Barbara and Henry came with Ryan, Griffin and London to help celebrate.

Larry Jr bought two turkeys from Bojangles.  He and Jane provided appetizers and some sides while others chipped in with more sides and dessert.  Gerry baked 4 pumpkin pies and one mince meat pie for me.  There was more than enough food to go around for everyone and we all managed to stuff ourselves.

Gerry, Jane, Erin and Larry Jr

Barbara and Cassie

 

 

Barbara, Erin, Larry Jr, Cassie, Jane, Herbert, Henry and Jack

Larry Jr made the table below from the lumber salvaged from Grant's outdoor swing set made out of redwood.  There is a center piece in the table and that really sets it off.  He did a fantastic job on making the table and has received numerous compliments on the finished product.

Abigail, Erin, Grant, Caden, Belle, Larry Jr, Gerry and Me

Henry, me, Jack, Christopher, Herbert, Cassie, Jane & Barbara

The weather for Thanksgiving was perfect with a sunny and warm day for sitting outside or playing a game of corn hole which is popular in the North Carolina area.

Gerry wasn't the only one there with an injured leg.  Christopher broke his leg playing tackle football.  He has a great arm and plays quarterback and held the ball too long before he threw it for a completion.  

Erin, Christopher and Belle

 

Erin, Caden, Belle texting, Christopher and Herbert

Larry Jr and Jack

Gerry showing off her form.

Cassie & Barbara

Erin and Gerry

Great granddaughters Riley & Hayden being held by Abigail & Caden

Jack finishing off the ice cream

 This turned out to be a progressive Thanksgiving with the main meal at Larry Jr & Jane's home and dessert at Barbara & Henry's home.  Both wanted to host the whole celebration and splitting it between them was a compromise.  Gerry and I didn't care where the celebration was, we just wanted to celebrate with our family and it worked for us.

Sean & Taylor brought the twins over to Barb's house for the dessert portion of the day and it was nice seeing them running all over the place.  Abigail wanted to hold them all the time but they were much too interested in seeing what there was to see on their terms.

Finally, it was time to go since we were stuffed and worn out.  The campground is near the Lowes Motor speedway and they had it decked out in Christmas lights for the holidays.  They alternated a car and this fire truck near the entrance and Gerry managed to get this photo.  There is a drive-thru Christmas light display from mid November to the end of December at the race track.

 We waddled into the motor home, collapsed and were in bed very early that night.

That was our Thanksgiving, I hope you all had as great a time as we did.