Finally, after months of hanging out in and around the southeastern portion of the United States, it was time to head west. Our original plan had been for Mike to retire at the end of 2021, at which point we were going to head west. But that got moved up a bit. And since we didn’t really have a plan at that point, we decided to stick to the southeastern portion of the country so we could work out all of the kinks as we adjusted to full-time RV living.
We were in Florida for the entire month of December (except for our quick Christmas visit to NC) through January 11. That’s when we left our quiet, remote, tropical nature paradise in Florida and headed west to Texas.
Of all of us, Belle has the hardest time adjusting to changes. The five-day transition period was especially tough on her. Understandably so, too. All of the campgrounds were so different. And, being a dog, I’m sure she doesn’t understand the concept of a house on wheels and parking next to other people with dogs and their own house on wheels.
She settles down eventually. It’s always better when we stay in one place long-term.
We will have been in San Antonio for a week, come tomorrow (Friday). She’s almost comfortable with the environment here, but we are moving tomorrow. We are headed to an Army Corps of Engineers facility that’s sorta midway between San Antonio and Austin. We will only be there for a few days before we head to Fredericksburg, Texas for a week and then Terlingua, Texas (near Big Bend National Park) for 25 days.
This is how different our sites were for those five days…
Monday: Yellowjacket RV Resort in Old Town, Florida
Quiet, natural paradise.
Tuesday: Five Flags RV Park in Pensacola, Florida
Five Flags RV Park was great for an overnight stop, but it was noisy, sites were roomy enough, but wide-open and close, and it was so brightly lit, I felt like we were on the Vegas strip.
Wednesday: Champagne Swamp Tours (Harvest Host) in Breaux Bridge, Louisiana
Our site was in a field beside a swamp with several other Harvest Host guests. It’s basically a free camping spot at a business. It may sound weird, but it was a nice spot.
Thursday: Katy Lake RV Resort in Katy, Texas
Katy is a suburb of Houston. It didn’t feel suburban at all. It felt like we were in the city. It was great for an overnight and I guess would be good if you had business in the area, but it’s not our preferred kind of destination place. We DID get to have dinner at Rudy’s Barbecue, though.
Friday: Traveler’s World RV Resort in San Antonio, Texas
The sites are spacious and the park is very well-maintained, but we are only a few miles outside of downtown San Antonio. It’s crowded and louder than we are used to (we can hear sirens, trains, aircraft, and cars with thumping bass that rattles your teeth!), but has been a nice stay overall.
We were all happy to get here and settle-in for the week. I think Mike was happiest.
Mike’s Mexican food and margarita smile.
Don’t get me wrong, this has been a great campsite. It’s convenient to everything and surrounded by barbecue and Mexican restaurants, it’s just very different from the super-chillaxed existence we’ve enjoyed for the last few months. All the activity has been a nice change of pace. And the food has been delicious!
As mentioned in my previous post, moto-blogger friend Richard Machida and his wife, Bridget, who are also full-time RVers, arrived at Yellowjacket RV Resort (YJRR) on December 13.
The Machidas, who are from Fairbanks, Alaska, have been full-timers for a few years. They usually spend extended time during summer in Alaska. Earlier this year, they ordered a Jeep (from a dealer in Idaho) to replace the Prius they had been towing. The plan was to pick the Jeep up in August, shortly after returning to the lower 48. Sadly, the Jeep wasn’t ready, so they had to continue their journey through the lower 48 without a toad (RVers slang for a towed vehicle).
The Jeep finally arrived in early December, so Richard had to leave Bridget and fly to Idaho to pick up their new Jeep. That wasn’t a problem for Bridget, it freed-up more time for the two of us to go kayaking! We also went off-roading with their e-bikes through a nearby wildlife refuge. We went exploring one day in the Jeep, too. We had so much fun together, I’ll have to do a separate post to share pics from our “girls’ day out” adventures. Bridget is also a crafter, so we did some crafting together, too. Sadly, no crafting pics to share.
Richard got back from Idaho on December 20. Mike, Belle, and I left for North Carolina on December 22 to spend Christmas with some family. We got back to the campground on December 26.
On December 28, two other moto-blogger friends, Chris and Lori, arrived to spend a couple of nights with all of us. Chris and Lori are from Dahlonega, Georgia. They are in the process of fitting-out an overland expedition vehicle, which they use to RV in really remote places with rougher terrain than we could ever hope to traverse in our more-mainstream big rigs.
Selfie by Lori (lower-left) with me, Bridget, Richard, Chris (waving), and Mike.
Their super-cool vehicle is in the background.
Chris and Lori left on December 30. Bridget and I went kayaking at Crystal River on December 31. We all retired to our coaches well before midnight on New Year’s Eve.
The coolest thing we did as a group happened on January 1. That’s when we rented a pontoon boat from the campground and spent the day out on the river. We even packed a picnic and anchored on the water just south of Fanning Springs to enjoy our little feast.
L-R, Mike, me, Bridget, and Richard
Our boat is on the left. It looks just like the one in the middle.
It was a beautiful day to be out on the water.
I’m not sure if Belle liked riding on the boat, but she doesn’t like being left alone.
This is where we ate lunch. There was more boat traffic on that part of the river.
Captain selfie!
I liked watching Belle’s ears flying in the wind.
It was such a nice, leisurely ride. We saw alligators, numerous kinds of birds, and even a river otter!
Alligator
Ibis
Wood Stork (center) and Ibis (right)
Alligator
Bridget captured this nice pic of Belle.
L-R, me, Mike, Richard, and Bridget (photographer)
Bridget captured this pic of Belle, ears flapping.
I took my captain duties very seriously. Looks like Richard was at ease with me at the wheel.
We docked around 3:00 for a quick potty break. Mike opted to stay at the coach with Belle while Richard, Bridget, me, and their dog, Leinen, headed back out on the river to use-up our final boat time.
Richard, Bridget, and Leinen
As for boating, I think Leinen felt the same way as Belle did. He wasn’t loving it, but it was better than being left behind.
We spotted this small gator downriver from the campground.
Bridget captured this cool picture of the hawk that liked to hang out in the trees between our campsite and the river.
That evening is when we learned that our son-in-law had tested positive for COVID a few days after we left North Carolina. As soon as we learned that we’d been exposed, we let all of our friends know. We were careful to keep our distance for the Machida’s remaining days at YJRR.
Richard and Bridget left YJRR as planned on January 3. Since I’d been feeling extra tired for a few days, I decided I should probably test, too. I couldn’t find any at-home test kits, so got an appointment scheduled for January 4. Despite being fully vaccinated and boosted, I tested positive, too. Mike never did test, but assumed he had COVID, too, since he had a sore throat and mild cough. I had a slight sore throat, too, but that was it.
Thankfully, none of our friends tested positive. Only two of the five family members we visited tested positive. Those who were sick had very mild symptoms, thanks to being vaccinated, and all of us are fully recovered.
I’ll share pics from the outdoor adventures Bridget and I shared in a future post.
As we were preparing to return to Florida, to the same campground where we spent a week(ish) in June 2021, I was picturing the same, very green place, only cooler. I did not picture the same place with lots of bare trees, less grass and other ground vegetation, and Fall colors. Alas, the latter is what we got. Not that I am complaining. It was still beautiful there, just in a different way. And most days were delightfully cool with far fewer mosquitoes, chiggers, no-see-ums, and other insects.
Another difference? This time, I had a kayak and was able to explore the beautiful Suwannee River and a few of Florida’s magnificent springs. Plus, we had friends join us — moto-blogger Richard Machida and his wife, Bridget — so we had people to do things with.
Yellowjacket RV Resort (YJRR) was a relatively easy five-hour(ish) drive from Dauphin Island in Alabama. It was a bit longer than we usually like to spend on the road between stops, but we were okay pushing it a bit after being in one place for two months and knowing we’d be at YJRR for at least a month.
YJRR is located in a very remote part of Florida. It’s commonly referred to as the “Big Bend” area or Florida’s “Nature Coast.” The region doesn’t get as much publicity as other parts of Florida, maybe because it is so remote. But we love it there. It’s not mobbed with people (except for New Year’s weekend!), is very quiet, and there’s lots of nature to see and enjoy.
We arrived on December 1. Richard and Bridget weren’t scheduled to arrive until December 13, so we spent the first two weeks there alone. Since I am playing catch-up, the pics I’m sharing here are images I captured while it was just Mike, Belle, and me at the campground.
Relaxing at our riverfront campsite along the Suwannee River.
Belle, shortly after we arrived.
In early December, there were still quite a few leaves left on the trees.
Belle relaxing in the Clam (screened tent, manufactured by a company named Clam).
The Lower Suwannee National Wildlife Refuge is adjacent to the road that leads to YJRR.
One of the three ponds at YJRR.
One of the alligators that hangs out in the pond shared in the previous pic.
Just a few of the ten million small lizards that live in the area.
This green-eyed guy liked sunning himself on the coach’s driver-side mirror.
Late-afternoon view, looking west toward the Gulf of Mexico.
Interesting lines in the sky.
Afternoon light on the trees between our campsite and the river (captured from the boat dock).
Looking upriver.
Me in my kayak (captured by Mike).
Looking upriver from the kayak.
Kayaking on the Suwannee is a very peaceful way to spend a sunny, Fall afternoon.
This pic was captured later in the month, after a bunch more leaves had fallen from the trees.
Derelict boat dock along the Suwannee.
In this shot, you can really see the dark color of the river.
The Suwannee River is actually a federally designated wild river. The river flows from the Okefenokee Swamp in southern Georgia and winds for about 250 miles through swamps, high limestone banks, hardwood hammocks, and salt marshes before reaching the Gulf of Mexico in Florida. There are fifty-five springs that feed into the Suwannee along the way with over 150 other springs feeding into the Suwannee’s various tributaries. The water stays very dark in color so much so that its referred to as a black-water river. According to a website published by the Suwannee River Water Management District, “The river derives its tannic color from decaying vegetation in the Okefenokee Swamp and maintains a black tint as it flows south.”
Belle relaxing in the Clam.
Looking upriver from the boat dock.
“Fall” color lingered into January.
Trees with color were in the minority by the time we left on January 11.
This last picture was not captured at YJRR. I took it while we were in North Carolina visiting family over the Christmas holiday.
More pics from YJRR will be featured in my next post. Those will include our friends, too.
Part of Dauphin Island’s charm, a huge part for me, is the island’s lack of commercialism. Don’t get me wrong, I still enjoy visiting a good, touristy coastal town, with its kitschy souvenir shops, funky eateries, and gaudy decor. Oh, and the beach. But I have also really enjoyed chillaxing on Dauphin Island where all that stuff is minimal.
We did need to go off-island on several occasions for our COVID boosters, major grocery runs, stocking up on dog food, craft supplies (🐸), and other important stuff. That’s how we found Bayou La Batre, a quaint little fishing village about a 25-minute drive from our campground.
One of our many nice RV neighbors recommended we try eating at Bayou Seafood. I’m so glad he did, too. Their fried seafood is delicious. The onion rings are pretty darn good, too. We didn’t have room for onion rings on our last visit. We both wanted to eat all of our main courses. It was our last chance to dine there since we are headed east to Florida tomorrow.
Bayou Seafood is in an eye-catching green building that has a big gravel parking lot and beautiful Live Oak tree.
Look how small our car looks under that tree!
Fried Shrimp Platter with fries, cole slaw, and a couple of hush puppies.
The shrimp were a really nice size (12 are on the platter).
The oysters were delicious and practically melted in my mouth they were so tender, but the breading held up, too.
I like the way the window framed the metal blue crab.
I couldn’t leave the are without a shout-out to these folks. We met the owner last night and chatted a bit. The girls who work there with him are very sweet, too. If you ever visit this area, Bayou Seafood is a must-eat place to go.
There is also an Asian restaurant — Phnom Penh Fusion — that I found surprisingly good. It has a big sushi menu, too (I prefer eating cooked proteins).
Even if we hadn’t needed to visit the Bayou, I would have wanted to see the town anyway since that’s where Forrest Gump’s fictional friend, Bubba, hailed from.
It’s not full of stately old homes or anything like that. It’s a fishing village full of modest houses and buildings. Besides the fleet of fishing and shrimp boats, there are also several shipbuilders and big seafood processing houses. Live Oak trees are scattered throughout the town. It may not be as visually charming as some other places I have visited, but it’s very picturesque in its own right.
There’s an impressive vertical lift drawbridge there, too. I watched it operating one day, and even captured a video. If anyone is interested, let me know in the comments and I’ll add the video to YouTube when I’m able.
For now, it’s time to turn in. Tomorrow is a travel day. We are off to a two-month stint at two different campgrounds in Florida. One, we visited earlier this year. more on that from Florida.
For me, Thanksgiving didn’t really feel like a holiday. I mean, every day kind of feels like a holiday since I’m not working. The only thing that actually made it feel like a holiday was the influx of families with children. Since early November, there have been few kids here. Most of the folks have been our age or older. The proverbial Snowbirds who flock south in the winter months, chasing warmer weather.
Some neighboring RV peeps were talking about a group gathering, but Mike doesn’t like peopling, so I politely declined. We still had to eat, though, so I drove over to Bayou La Batre on Wednesday (the seafood capitol of Alabama AND home of the fictional Bubba of Bubba Gump Shrimp) for some provisions. That’s when I saw this mob of oyster fishermen near the boat launch just north of Dauphin Island. They were all getting ready for their holidays, too.
Oyster fishermen near boat launch on Mon Louis Island.
I not only managed to get the groceries I needed and some Asian food for a carry-out lunch, I also went to Dollar Tree and picked up some supplies to make Christmas decorations. (The actual crafting of those decorations may not happen until we get to our next stop.)
Since our time on the island is drawing to a close, I’ve been making more of an effort to watch the sunset ever day. There have been some good ones lately. On Thanksgiving Eve, I drove down toward the west end of the island for a different sunset view. That’s where these pics were captured.
Sunset shot #1 from near the Dauphin Island golf course.
Sunset shot #2 from near the Dauphin Island golf course.
Sunset shot #3 from near the Dauphin Island golf course.
Thursday ended up being a picture-perfect weather day. I baked an Apple Crumb Pie and then sat outside stitching for a couple of hours. By early afternoon, I was getting antsy and decided to go for a walk.
The view from our patio where I was stitching (working on an embroidery project).
Initially, I headed for the beach. But, at the last minute, I decided to detour through the Audubon Sanctuary that’s adjacent to the campground. I’m so glad I did. I had the place almost entirely to myself and it was such a beautiful day. Being able to be there was such a gift.
Wooded path through the forest.
Palmetto plants carpet the forest floor.
The place really is a sanctuary. It is so peaceful and the late-afternoon Autumn light was just lovely.
The only other people I saw was a group of three Europeans who were at the little boardwalk overlook, and they were talking very little. When they did talk, they spoke quietly.
As seen from the viewing boardwalk at Alligator Lake.
The air was very still, which made for a mirror-like reflection on Alligator Lake.
Alligator Lake from the opposite shore.
Looking east from the sanctuary’s path to the beach below the Dune Observation Point.
Looking toward the sanctuary from the beach.
My shadow looks weird because I was carrying my beach chair (it has straps like a backpack).
Pre-sunset #1 from the beach near the campground (I was hurrying home to make dinner).
Pre-sunset #2 from the beach path among the dunes.
Post sunset from our campsite.
Dinner — homemade chicken pot pie and Instant Pot stuffing — may not have been pretty, but it was tasty.
Ugly but good.
I don’t remember what we did on Friday. One of the hazards of not working is that all of the days kind of blend together.
I do remember the sunset. It was another pretty one.
Looking east at sunset from the public beach behind Fort Gaines.
Looking east at sunset from the public beach behind Fort Gaines, this time with vegetation in the foreground.
Shrimp boat, shrimping in the Gulf of Mexico at sunset.
Beautiful sunset colors (imagine the view from the shrimp boat!).
Saturday was a bit cold and dreary so we didn’t do a whole lot. Mike had to do some work on the AquaHot water heater (there always seems to be something going wrong in or on the RV, and not just ours). Luckily, he got it working again.
Even the sunset on Saturday was “meh”, matching the tone of the day.
Hurricane debris (I think; how else would a big hunk of brick end up in that spot?).
Lackluster sunset.
Late Saturday night, it started raining. And it kept raining well into Sunday. I was bummed because I’d planned a kayak trip to test out a hard-body sea kayak owned by a neighboring RVer. It would have been good to compare how my inflatable performs in comparison to a hard-body one. Everything I’ve read and heard say the hard ones track through the water better. Inflatables are lighter and sit higher, so they tend to be more impacted by the wind. Not that it really matters; we have no way to transport a hard-body kayak.
I didn’t want to be confined in the camper all day, so I set out on a mini road trip. I’d been wanting to visit Daphne, Alabama, on the Eastern Shore. The town has a Gator Boardwalk where you can view alligators.
As seen from Daphne’s Gator Boardwalk.
As it turns out, cool, cloudy days are not good for seeing alligators. Oh well. It was still good to get out and see some new scenery.
From Daphne, I headed south down the Eastern Shore toward Gulf Shores and Fort Morgan where I caught the Mobile Bay Ferry back to Dauphin Island. I stopped at the Publix in Gulf Shores for dinner supplies (Publix makes great deli subs) and a few groceries.
Heron and its reflection (seen in a pond near Publix).
The pics that follow were all captured from the deck of the ferry.
I had my own row on the ferry (I was the last to board).
Cormorant (top) and Pelican on the piling.
One of the reasons I chose to take the ferry to get back home was the timing of the trip. The boat I took left Fort Morgan at 4:15 and headed east to Dauphin Island. That meant I got to enjoy not only a boat ride, but also the sunset from the boat’s deck. Win-win! (I never say no to a boat ride.)
The pics that follow were all captured from the deck of the ferry. The pics are nice, but pictures never do full justice to the in-person sunset experience.
Look at those clouds! Now, imagine the cool wind in your hair and the warm sunlight on your face.
Also, though I didn’t get pics, I did see two different pods of dolphins during the crossing. It truly felt magical seeing them in that amazing light.
The water was so flat, I probably could have paddled across in my kayak, had it not been so rainy earlier in the day.
Looking out over Mobile Bay, you can see Dauphin Island on the horizon. See how smooth the water is? That’s why people call it “flat” when there’s no wind making waves.
Closer to Dauphin Island, the wind picked up. I’ve shared sunset (and a few sunrise) pics from that spot on the shore near Fort Gaines and the Little Billy Goat Hole boat launch.
Closer to the Little Billy Goat Hole boat launch.
Some of the working boats docked on the island. The blue one is a research vessel. The red one on the right services the area’s gas rigs.
I like the colors in the shot. It almost looks unreal. I also like how the setting sun lights-up the gas rig in the background.
I meant to get this posted yesterday (Monday), but got distracted. Today is my last chance for a Dauphin Island sunset. Here’s hoping the weather holds today. And that I make it back from my Mobile Costco run.
Yesterday, it was so chilly here that I actually had to wear a light jacket for my afternoon walk. It was still warm enough for flip-flops, though, so I guess I can’t complain too much. Not that I am really complaining. It was still visually beautiful AND I actually like having a bit of chill in the air. Unless I’m planning on swimming, that is.
I took my camera along and snapped some photos to share with y’all. It’s more fun to show you that it’s starting to look like Fall here, too.
Filtered sun illuminated this palmetto.
A hint of Fall color.
Heron at the pond.
Alligator sunning itself on the bank.
Pond reflection.
Lily pads changing color.
Pond reflection from the other bank.
Marsh grass in varying shades.
Red leaf captured in a Sand Hill Rosemary bush.
Looking out on the Gulf of Mexico from the Audubon Sanctuary’s Dune Observation Point.
Bird life observation; there’s a Cormorant fishing in the water and a Willet (I think) hunting onshore.
Looking east across Mobile Bay toward Fort Morgan and Gulf Shores.
The sun sets just before 5:00 these days, which means I can enjoy a leisurely, unhurried sunset and still have plenty of time to stroll home in time to cook dinner.
Sunset view #1.
Sunset view #2.
Sunset view #3.
I hope you enjoyed the images from my afternoon stroll. I am very thankful to have had the opportunity to enjoy camping and exploring on this lovely island — Dauphin Island — at the mouth of Mobile Bay in Alabama.
