Week 9: Naples, FL to Savannah, GA

My original plan was to spend a week in Naples with Vanessa then head south to Key West; however, peak season rates, limited availability, and heat and humidity led me to the decision to head back north.  I made a few stops along the way before crossing the Georgia border and saying goodbye to Florida.  In total, I added 640 miles to my journey.

Manatee Springs
After leaving Naples on Monday, 2/17 I stopped at Manatee Springs State Park en route to my father’s house.  I was hoping the woods and natural spring would offer cool relief from the heat.  Manatee Springs is a great state park located on the Suwannee River which dumps into the Gulf.  Trooper and I stayed for two days hiking, writing and enjoying the woods.  I never saw a manatee but enjoyed the time relaxing in nature.  I was tempted to swim in the spring since many other campers were, but after hearing someone yell about a snake behind one of the swimmers, I decided it was best to stay on land.

Ah... waking up in the woods!

T & I after a long hike and him cooling off in the spring

Suwannee River

Looking back at Manatee Springs from the Suwannee River

T at the spring

A hawk looking for dinner

Female Cardinal hanging around the campsite

Male Cardinal also at the campsite

Gators
I left Manatee Springs on Wednesday, 2/19 to spend a few more days with Dad before leaving Florida.  It was a relaxing few days but as each day passed, I felt the sadness of our upcoming goodbyes.  On Monday, 2/24 we went to La-Chua Trail at Paines Prairie outside Gainesville.  It is known for gators sunning themselves along the path.  Apparently, “they” are confident the gators are harmless during the day when they’re absorbing the sun; however, it’s difficult to describe how unnerving it is to be within 10 feet of such intimidating creatures.  Dad and I left the dogs at home and spent a few hours walking around enjoying the abundance of wildlife and laughing nervously at the gators literally at our feet.

Interesting welcome sign!

Courageous bird

Gator closeup

Love this sign!  And we made sure to leave before dusk.

The Great Heron, one of my favorite birds

A White Ibis and Coot

Snowy Egret

Beautiful but intimidating!

Baby gator but still intimidating

Dad & I taking a break

Red-winged Blackbird

Dinner? 

A Green Heron

As we were leaving, the gators were becoming more active

Daring Dad!

Spanish Moss closeup

Leaving Florida
Dad and I said goodbye on Tuesday, 2/25 and I headed east to Crescent Beach on the Atlantic Coast.  I wanted to get to the Atlantic Ocean and Crescent is one of the few beaches that permits dogs.  It took about 2 hours to get there and what a great stop!  The sun was warm, the water cool and the sand perfectly white and soft.  We walked the beach for a few hours before heading north to cross into Georgia and see what Savannah is all about... but that will have to wait for the next post.

Saying goodbye :(

T & I enjoying Crescent Beach

Beautiful last stop in Florida!

Soaking it in

Final Thoughts
I left Seattle 60 days ago and am in awe of all I have seen and experienced in two short months.  The first month was filled with a lot of driving and sight-seeing while the second month was in Florida relaxing and reconnecting with loved ones.  I’m excited to get back on the road, explore the East Coast, and visit more friends and family.  The experiences that I am having and memories I am gaining are priceless and I am humbled and grateful to continue my journey.  A special thank you to Dad and Carol for letting Trooper and I invade your space for so long.  I cherish our time together and look forward to RVing it in the near future!

One last key lime pie and mocha at Kona Joe's in Cedar Key

Trooper will miss the delicious Casto dinners!

  

Until next time... 

Week 8: Fort White to Naples, FL

After two weeks with Dad, it was time to head south to visit one of my closest friends and her family in Naples, FL.  The drive was a little over 300 miles and took me 6 hours.

When I was eight, my family moved from Newport News, VA to Hawley, PA and Vanessa was the first friend I met on the school bus.  I think she was the only kid willing to speak to the little girl with a funny accent and gaps between every tooth!  That was 34 years ago and I’m grateful to still have her in my life.  We have seen each other at our worst and our best, cried until we laughed, laughed until we cried, lived on a single can of tuna for days at Penn State, and watched each other grow into the women we are today.  Vanessa has come to my side during some of the most difficult times in my life and I am incredibly blessed to call her my soul sister!

34 years of friendship and counting!

Good food and great company at Food & Thought marketplace

Emma & Nathan
It had been about 3 years since I saw her children, so I was very much looking forward to spending time with them.  I arrived at their place Wednesday, 2/12 and Vanessa and I cried as we embraced and laughed at the realization that I drove over 4,000 miles to get there.  Emma (9) and Nathan (5) took to me as if they see me everyday, so I have to thank Vanessa for keeping “Aunt Jennifer” a part of their lives despite the geographical distance.  To me, both kids look like mini-Vanessa’s but their personalities are quite different.  Emma is very serious, thoughtful, and completely trustworthy to do the right thing.  Nathan is unlike any child I know.  He has a sense of humor and free spirit that should be bottled up; but trustworthy, he is not!  His negotiation tactics are far beyond his years and he does it with humor and slyness making it hard to keep a straight face.

Beautiful Emma and T enjoying the pool

Crazy Nathan being crazy

Everyone enjoying the shade while working on our blogs

Early morning cuddle time

The Garden
Vanessa and her husband Mark have turned much of their backyard into a thriving garden and are dedicated “clean” eaters.  Prior to leaving Seattle, I too was wheat-free, dairy-free, sugar-free (sometimes), anti-processed, anti-artificial, blah, blah, blah; however, when I left Seattle, I decided to replace all of those rules with one rule: to eat whatever I want whenever I want so I can enjoy the local cuisine along my journey.  After partaking in too much deliciousness at my father’s house for two weeks, the “Owens Detox” was welcomed.  The veggies from her garden were fresh and full of flavor!  

Vanessa looking for lunch goodies

The proud gardener!

T trying to find something "dog-worthy"

T finally found a cool place to escape from the sun

Outdoor Time 
Vanessa and I spent a lot of time walking, chatting, and laughing.   It had been two years since she was last in Seattle and I wanted to absorb every minute with her.  We reminisced about some of our fondest moments, including throwing a mattress out a second story window in Philadephia then driving a U-Haul to my new home in Atlanta.  We grew up next to each other so there are countless memories of us running through the woods (and sneaking cigarettes at some point in our early teens), rollerskating up and down “Owego Turnpike” with no helmets and no awareness of oncoming traffic, and cruising the streets of Honesdale in her Dodge Aspen or my Dodge Omni.  I could write a novel on our lives but the words will never do justice to a friendship that has lasted over three decades.

Early morning walk in Freedom Park

Native wildlife!

Love

One of Florida's beautiful birds... the Snowy Egret

A black Anhinga showing off

Vanessa showing off

Flowering cactus

Highlight of our walk

Valentines Day
When the kids got home on Valentines Day, they showed me all of their treats and told me about their friends at school.  I spent a lot of time just sitting and listening to them in hopes of engraining myself in their lives.  They loved the RV and affectionately refer to it as “Auntie Jennifer’s House Bus”.  They also decided that we should be called the “Trooper Clan”.  We went for a lot of walks around the neighborhood where Emma and Nathan negotiated for Trooper's leash and spent several hours at a local organic marketplace called Food & Thought where I met several of Vanessa’s friends. 

Emma & Nathan in the "house bus"

Emma did quite well on Valentines Day!

Nathan confused about the bag of chips for Valentines

Homemade veggie pizza to celebrate Love Day 

The kids bought Trooper a new toy!

Vanessa has created a wonderful life for her family and spending a week with them was a highlight of my two months on the road.  Vanessa, Mark, Emma, and Nathan… THANK YOU!  I miss you already and love you all very much.  See you in a few weeks in the mountains of NC :)

Our goofy shot

"Trooper Clan" in the RV

Our goodbyes :(

Final Thoughts
If there was any doubt in my mind about taking time off and being unemployed, after three weeks in Florida with my father and best friend, there is absolutely no question.  Spending time with them has been soul-enriching.  It is easy to let the days go by and phone calls unmade.  These people are a part of me and have defined who I am; I cherished our time together.  If you’re reading this blog, I encourage you to pick up the phone and call that loved one you’ve been meaning to call for a while…

Thanks for reading and until next time!