Florida Trip with Barbara and Frank

For a few years Elizabeth has been talking to her sisters Barbara and Anna Maria about taking a trip to Florida together.  We decided that this would be the year to do it if we could get our Covid vaccines in time.  We got vaccinated in early March so by the end of March we were ready to go.  Unfortunately, Jim and Anna Maria were unable to go so it came down to Barbara and Frank going with us.  They flew into Dallas on March 23 and we picked them up at the airport.  On March 24 it was pouring rain and flooding so we waited one more day and left in the RV together on March 25.  We drove to Vicksburg, MS where we stayed the first night at the Ameristar RV Park.  Frank rented a car in Vicksburg, so they followed the RV in their car from that point on and we camped in the RV and used the car for local trips.

At Vicksburg we visited the National Military Park where some significant Civil War battles were fought.  We also went to the USS Cairo Museum which houses a restored ironclad ship from the Civil War...very cool!  

Looking out toward the Mississippi River
from the bluffs in Vicksburg

Liz & I with Barbara and Frank

Vicksburg Battlefield

Monument on Vicksburg Battlefield

USS Cairo Museum

USS Cairo Ironclad War Ship

From there we headed east and spent the night in Spanish Fort, AL.  The next day we drove to Fort Pickens campground in Florida where we had reservations for the next 2 nights.  This campground is situated in a national seashore and is next to the original Fort Pickens, a Civil War era military fort.  We had a great time hanging out on the beach and exploring the old fort.

Campsite at Fort Pickens

Scooter ride

Night time campfire

Liz, Barbara and Frank on the beach at Ft Pickens

Jelly Fish

Exploring the old Fort Pickens

Sandcastles on the beach

On March 29 we left Fort Pickens and drove to Juniper Springs in central Florida.  This is a campground with a natural spring surrounded by lush foliage.  We stayed here 2 nights.  On the first day we drove to St Augustine, FL, the oldest settlement in the U.S. and it also has a fort called Castillo de San Marcos.  It was settled by the Spanish in 1565.  We spent the day exploring the city and the Castillo.

Campsite at Juniper Springs

Castillo de San Marcos in St. Augustine

Exploring the Castillo

Frank with his new friend

Roadside stop for Milkshakes

On March 31 we left Juniper Springs heading south toward Miami and the Everglades.  We stopped along the way at Blue Springs State Park which is famous for manatees but they were not around when we visited.  

Blue Springs State Park

We spent that night in Vero Beach at Walmart parking lot.  On April 1 we headed south again and arrived at Long Pine Key campground in the Everglades.  This is where the RV stayed for the rest of our time with Barbara and Frank.  On the day we arrived we checked out the Anhinga Trail in the Everglades Park which is a boardwalk that takes you into the Everglades bird and alligator habitat. 

Alligator greeting at the Everglades

On the next day we drove to Flamingo which is at the southern end of the Everglades.  Here we did see some manatees as well as alligators and crocodiles. 

 

Osprey nest near Flamingo

Vultures pecking out the rubber lining of a car
in the parking lot

Some kind of bird

On April 3 we drove to the northern side of the Everglades and took an airboat tour that took us right on top of the flowing river that is the Everglades.  It was pretty cool. 

Air Boat ride through the Everglades

All Aboard

Barbara getting too brave

Alligator yawning

The next day we drove out to Key Largo and rented bikes.  We biked 20 miles on a path that follows the highway through the keys.  

Liz ready to bike through the Keys

Me too!

On the Trail

Sights along the bike trail

Happy ending

On April 5 we drove to Key West where we had a rooms booked at The Grand Guest House. We checked into our hotel, had lunch at Key West Fish and Chips (excellent), and explored the city.  That evening we watched the sunset at Mallory Square and had a great dinner of Cuban sandwiches.  

Lunch at Key West Fish & Chips

Here we are at Mallory Square on Key West

Entertainment at Mallory Square

Sunset from the Square

The next day we explored the city some more and then headed back to our camp at Long Pine Key.

The girls found a botanical garden on Key West

Back at our campsite in Long Pine Key

On March 7 Barbara and Frank drove to the airport and hopped on a plane for home.  Liz and I stayed 2 more nights at Long Pine Key campground.  We took the scooter back down to Flamingo to do some more hiking and exploring.  

On April 9 we left the Everglades and stayed at the Cracker Barrel in Homstead.  The next day we drove the RV to the west coast of Florida and stayed at the Collier-Seminole State Park for 2 nights.  This campground is near Marco Island so we spent a day exploring the island.  Next day we drove north and stayed at a Cracker Barrel near Ft Myers.   On April 13 we drove further north to Lake Manatee State Park where we stayed for 2 nights.  On April 14 we made a trip on the scooter out to Anna Maria Island, a place we had visited before with the Graves.  

Anna Maria Island

Next day we drove to Gainsville where we stayed at a Cracker Barrel for the night.  On April 16 we headed west where we arrived at the Spanish Fort Sam's Club.  Next day we continued west and to the Davis Bayou Campground in Mississippi (a new place for us) where we stayed for 2 nights.  During our day there we explored the area including Ocean Springs which is an old ocean front resort town.

Pretty church at Ocean Springs

From there we headed to Louisiana where we stayed at the Cracker Barrel near Baton Rouge.  On April 20 we drove north to the town of Natchez Mississippi and explored the town.  Natchez is full of antebellum history and we thoroughly enjoyed seeing the town.

Church in downtown Natchez

Old Plantation House in Natchez

Looking down the Mississippi from the
Natchez Visitor Center

We spent the night in the Walmart parking lot and drove up the Natchez Trace toward Vicksburg the next day.  

Mount Locust Stand on the Natchez Trace

We stayed in the Kroger parking lot that night and explored Vicksburg on the scooter the next morning.  

Steamship docked at Vicksburg

That afternoon we drove west and arrived at the Monroe, LA Sam's Club for the night.

On April 23 we continued our trip home via a different route than we usually take.  We took I 20 toward Shreveport but got off at Ruston and headed north west toward Homer, LA on Hwy 146.  We went through Plain Dealing, Hosston, and Vivian in Louisiana before heading up to Atlanta, TX for the night.  From there we arrived home on April 24th.  

We never get tired of visiting Florida, especially with family and friends.  Can't wait to do it again.