The key to my heart

John Pennenkamp Coral Reef State Park, FL

We pulled out early this morning continuing our journey South. Four years ago we drove through the Everglades and really enjoyed it. Being that this trip is called "The Greatest Hits" another trip to the Everglades was in order. This time however, we decided to explore the Big Cypress National Preserve. We stopped at the Visitor's Center and one of the things that took us by surprise was the display on animal noises of the swamp. Of course I was pushing all the buttons and dicking around with all the exhibits. When we listened to the "alligator sound" we were shocked! What we thought had been bullfrogs at several campsites were in fact alligators. Actually, I'm SO glad I didn't know that. Kinda creepy knowing those big jawed creatures were calling out to each other so close to us! Here's a picture of Ned outside the boardwalk area of the visit center, overlooking the alligator area.

Hey Megan and Josh take a look at this picture. If we were playing "Geoguessr" there is no way I would have said the Florida Everglade region. It looks so much more like Africa! We also passed several Indian villages with thatched roof dwellings. I was living in the moment too much and forgot to snap a picture, but the thatched roofs and this landscape just added more to the African theme.

 

Driving through the Everglades you also get some touristy tacky Indian stuff like this too.

 

 

There were also lots of "authentic" and "original" airboat ride operators. We thought about stopping and taking a tour, but it was so hot and muggy that the Florida Keys kept calling out to us.

After taking a moment to check out some exhibits, we stopped to have a picnic lunch in the Everglades with, you guessed it, smoked salmon from our Smoked Fish adventure yesterday with some watermelon. Delish!

 

 

 

 

After leaving the Everglades behind, we finally crossed over into Eastern Florida. About 12 years ago, when I was working at Apple, Ned joined me for a business trip to Florida. In our free time we visited a Fruit and Spice Park. It was so fascinating and also the first time I ever saw a cacao plant. Wow, who would have thought back then that I would one day be making chocolate from bean to bar and visiting awesome cacao growing countries...and making wonderful friends as well. I'm talking about you Sarah, my Trinidad traveling buddy! Anyway, we decided to take a trip down memory lane and drive by the Spice Farm. Special memories and funny how life comes full circle.

We finally made it to the iconic Overseas Highway One! It's such a thrill to drive this highway, with the aqua colored barrier, especially as you come over the bridge and look down on the crystal clear green water and see boats bobbing up and down. This picture does not do it justice, but hope you get the idea.

 

 

Tonight we are camped in Key Largo (cue Beach Boys song) at the John Pennenkamp Coral Reef State Park. The camping is a bit of a joke. The land part of this park is basically one big marina with campsites that are more like a parking lot. However, it's the coral reef and the associated marine life that brings most visitors to the park. It's the only tropical living coral reef in the continental U.S. and was the first undersea park in the U.S. I reserved this spot in August of last year and glad I did. We have just about the only shady spot in the park. What you can't see are the two campers parked just a few feet on either side of us.

The only way to really explore the coral reef is either by glass bottom boat or snorkel tours. We were hoping to catch a late afternoon snorkel trip, but the wind was strong enough that all the tours were cancelled. We reserved a spot for tomorrow morning, keeping our fingers crossed that it won't be cancelled. In the meantime, we decided to do some snorkeling around Cannon Park (yes, supposedly real cannons are underwater from a sunken Spanish ship). While snorkeling we saw some pretty amazing fish! Very colorful, but the scariest part for me was snorkeling over a flock (what are a bunch of jellyfish called anyway) of jellyfish, like 50 of them!! Well, I sure hightailed it out of there! We saw a baracuda too. Sadly, our underwater camera died. (Too many selfies broke the camera??). Here's Ned taking a little nap after a big day of driving and snorkeling.

Before hopping on our bikes and riding to several stores in the area in search of another underwater camera, we made sure we were well fortified.

Bummer, we weren't able to find a camera. Sigh. Ned has resorted to the "drop electronic device in bag of rice" trick to see if we can get it working by early tomorrow. Stay tuned! (P.S. believe it or not I'm terribly overdressed around here for bike riding! You should see some of the suits these gorgeous Latina women are wearing with pride. Dang, they own it!)

 

 

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Smoked Fish, Snorkeling and Sunshine

Location: Oscar Scherer State Park, FL

We've been so incredibly fortunate with the weather this trip. We missed the Texas floods by a couple of days and have been blessed with sunshine and just a few sprinkles here and there. Last night the skies opened up and boy did it pour! This morning, getting ready for my early morning run, the insects were thick. I couldn't find the bug spray and was thinking twice about the run then I remembered my Uncle Bud giving me a tip! He said try a fabric softener sheet. So, I rubbed one on my body and hung the sheet off my running pants. You know what?! It worked like a charm. Thanks Uncle Bug. Here's another picture of Manatee Springs before we pulled out.

Occasionally Ned and I check out the Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives TV show. One episdoe featured a smoked fish shop, Ted Peters Famous Smoked Fish, in St. Petersburg, FL. I LOVE smoked fish!! Of course, we put this on the agenda and headed there for lunch.

Ted Peters Smoked Fish is awesome! Alan and Patty I wish you could have joined us, you would have loved it. The restaurant has been around for over 50 years. You sit outside and it still feels like the 50's. Ned got the smoked mullet with German Potato Salad and I got the smoked mackarel with cole slaw. OMG! This was my favorite meal this trip so far.

Right next to the restaurant is the smoke house. We talked to Earl, the smoke master, who said he smokes about 500 lbs. of fish per day. The fish is smoked over red oak 4 to 6 hours depending upon the thickness of the fish. We saw some poor guy behind the restaurant splitting firewood in the hot sun. Earl opened up a couple of drawers to show-off his workmanship. We bought a pound of smoked salmon to go. Guess what we're eating tomorrow...and the next day.

Mid-afternoon we finally reached Oscar Scherer State Park. This is an awesome campground and our campsite is super sweet. I'd give this an A+. We're camped right on a small bayou, complete with gators. I think we'll just appreciate the wildlife and not go for a swim here.

 

 

Lake Osprey is somewhere in this state park so soon after getting situated we decided to "gear up" and pedal to the lake. Well...turns out the lake is more of a pond. And the swimming??? Mmmm, I'd give this swimming hole a C-.

 

 

 

Nevertheless, we decided to give it a try and play around with our snorkel gear, gators and all. Here's my fearless wildlife guide in front of our pond. The water was so hot in the lake that it was more like tepid bath water. We decided to find a ranger and ask him about other swimming opportunities.

 

 

The ranger said we weren't too far from the Gulf and there's a fun local place called Turtle Beach. We decided to bike on over, gear and all. After braving some freeway traffic the first mile or so, we finally made it to this lazy little road hugging the beach. There were all kinds of fancy houses and mansions here. Apparently, Stephen King has his "beach" house here. All the homes have their own private beach access and private boat docks. Swanky for sure. And here we were riding along in our bathing suits with towels over our necks and snorkel gear flung over our backs. Ha!

Well, our "little" bike ride turned out to be about 18 miles round trip. (We just hit the 100 mile point on riding our bikes). The beach was super chill. There was a drum circle going on and lots of aging hippies. Ahhh, my people! I felt so much at home!!

 

 

 

We couldn't wait to hit the glassy, crystal clear blue waters of the Gulf and do some snorkeling. Here's my Mr. Ned looking so much happier here than in front of the pond!

And me so much happier getting cooled off! There weren't a lot of fish to see snorkeling, but I want to get as much practice in as I can before we get to the Florida Keys.

After a hot bike ride back, some adult libations were definitely in order. Time to chill out and watch the gators.

 

 

 

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Suwanee - How I love ya, how I love ya

Location: Manatee Springs State Park, Fl

I'm baaack! We survived the bike ride home in the dark "entertained" by the lighting flashes in the distance and dodging the crabs skittering across the road. Occasionally one of us would run over a crab, you could hear the crunch, and then the shout out, "Sorry!". Fortunately, no tires were flattened (only crabs) and we made it back in one piece. We continued our drive farther South down Florida's coast. The towns were few and far between with signs referencing "Crackers", Dixie, bible verse billboards and the occasional fish shop. This one is pretty typical.

Occasionally we'd see a roadside BBQ with a smoker going. We finally broke down and decided to stop. Basic rule - always pick one with local plates and/or lots of pick up trucks in the parking lot. This one looked pretty good and it did not disappoint!

We each got a plate special. BBQ beef or pork, side of beans, coleslaw, sweet potatoes and garlic bread. $5.25 each. Damn it was good. Of course I had to sample everyone of the BBQ sauces. They had it covered - Vinegar, Mustard, Sweet, and Smokey. Got to love the South!

 

Love this picture of these horses grazing in a purple field. Such pretty country here.

We finally arrived at Manatee Springs State Park, we're camped in palmetto groves situated on the Suwanee River. It was one of our favorite places on a previous trip about 5 years ago. We got situated in our campsite and set-up Ned's fancy homemade screened porch. Nice going Ned!! You're very clever. It should work great for the yellow flies (which hurt like a son of a $&! when they bite and the noseums which make you itch like crazy).

 

 

I couldn't wait to hit the springs - snorkel gear (check), towel (check), underwater camera (check), let's get this show on the road!

Manatee Springs produces 100 million gallons of clear cool water daily and feeds into the Suwanee River. This swimming hole is 25ft deep with a tremendous "boil". There is 26,000 ft of cave passageway, making it one of the longest systems in North America. The manatees use this sping in the winter because it's warmer than the Suwanee River.

 

 

We saw tons of snakes (and were assured they were non-venomous) and lots of pretty fish. The water is such a vibrant color of turquoise it's hard to believe it's real. Ned got some beautiful shots underwater.

We also had fun taking photos of each other. I wish I could have captured the sparking bubbly water being kicked up in the sunlight off of Ned's fins. I found it a bit tricky to man the camera while swimming against the current of the springs.

 

 

I just loved swimming in this cool little spring next to the huge Mangrove trees. The temperature of the water is a constant 72 degrees which felt great considering it was about 87 degrees outside. The water really did seem this blue as you were swimming in it.

We were swimming and snorkeling for about an hour when KABOOM! An afternoon thunderstorm seem to come from out of nowhere. When we popped up from the water everyone was hurriedly packing up and beginning to run for cover. We figured it was a good time to hop on our bikes and head back for the campsite. And a good thing too. It poured! Ned's handy screen enclosure worked great for a popcorn and wine dinner! I think we're turning Floridian.

After the cloud burst we decided to explore the park via our bikes. We did a short bike ride on a boardwalk that takes you through a mangrove forest out to the Suwanee River. We saw turtles, snakes, fish and brightly colored woodpeckers. We've decided that Manatee Springs Park is now number one, bumping Lake Fausee Point to number two.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Paul Revere's Late Night Ride

Location: St. George Island State Park, FL

We left the ritzy Emerald Coast with the upscale resorts and headed South. We took the Intercoastal Route which took us through the seaside towns. First up was Panama Beach, a tourist vacation town with lots of miniature golf, waterslides and souvenoir shops. Think Wisconsin Dells or Branson Missouri. Panama City was next which left a lot to be desired. Once you leave this area the water changes from the deep emerald color and looks more like the Gulf waters of Mississippi. Here's a picture of the typical view of the shore. Lots of marsh with no sand.

Pulling into one of the towns we stopped at the Piggly Wiggly. For all my West Coast family and friends, yes, there really is a Piggly Wiggly and not just in the movies. Let's just say Whole Foods has nothing to worry about.

We stopped for lunch at a seaside shack in Port St. Joe's. We ate at the outside bar with the craziest waitress. In fact, most of the patrons were amused by just how wacky she was. One of the customers who had been sitting there for quite awhile said, "We would have asked her for the check, but we were afraid her head would explode." Everyone cracked up and agreed. Ned got a grouper sandwich and I got an ahi tuna salad. It was really, really good. This place leaves a lot to be desired, but it sure has some great, fresh seafood.

Right before we headed onto the island of St. George we stopped for some roadside hot boiled peanuts. I hopped out of the car to grab some. The two guys hawking their freshly boiled "goober peas" were pretty funny. They said to me, "You from California? Why'd you stop and by our peanuts?" I responded, "I heard they were so good that we had to drive across the country for them." They were really tickled about that. They kept saying to me, "You stop for me or my peanuts" and let's just say things went downhill from there. Freshly boiled peanuts...mmm--mmm.

The Island of St. George is off the coast and accessible by a really long bridge. One half of the Island is vacation homes and a typical beachside community. The other half is a State Park. It's really remote and the last time we stayed here we had the place almost to ourselves. Apparently, the word has gotten out cuz this place is packed! We thought for sure arriving late in the afternoon on Memorial Day things would have died down. Nope. Campground is full (yes, I booked this way in advance) and the day beach was pretty crowded too. Fortunately, the portion of the beach near the campground was pretty chill.

Once we arrived I couldn't wait to get in the water. The temp was 96% with 76% humidity. Of course, we rode our bikes to the beach schlepping the usual. They have a mobility mat that is supposed to make the beach wheelchair accessible instead of a boardwalk on the sand. I wasn't too confident that it would really work, but it made me feel like they had laid out the welcome mat for me. Hey, Cousin Cary, how about giving it a try and let me know what you think! Of course if you get stuck, don't say I didn't warn you!

The water is really warm, so different than the ocean in Northern California. We had a blast boogie boarding in the water and swimming in the waves. Here's Ned taking the board out for some action.

 

 

 

 

 

Today I definitely caught some waves and even have photo documentation to prove it! So fun.

 

 

 

 

After dinner Ned got a hankering for some ice cream. Our first date was at Tucker's Ice Cream and Ned wanted to recreate our first date in honor of our anniversary. Since last night's ice cream was such a fiasco he said, "Let's bike up to the ice cream place we saw on the way in.' My first reaction, was "What ice cream place?". If you reference the map above we are pretty far up the tip of the island. A nice bike ride after dinner sounded fun. Wellllll...10 miles later we finally reached the ice cream parlor. It's quite the island event too! Here's a pic of Ned enjoying our anniversary ice cream treat. We have a 10 mile ride back and it's getting dark. I have wi-fi so I'm posting this now. Wish us luck. cya tomorrow...I hope.

 

 

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Red Letter Day

Location: Grayton State Beach, FL

I knew it was going to be a special day, cuz it's our 11th Anniversary and dad's birthday. The extra bonus is that my great-niece was born today too! Ned and I are blessed with 7 very adorable great-nephews that we just love oodles. Today, was our first great-niece. Welcome to the world Isabel Nicole Santos. Here's my baby brother holding his first grandchild. So magical. Congrats to my niece Dani.

 

 

After the excitement of the baby being born, we jumped on our bikes and headed to the beach. Yes, we learned our lesson from yesterday and rode with a LOT less beach supplies. The wind had picked up and the red flag was flying. Ned did his best to plant our beach umbrella, but it was pretty much futile.

 

We did try and swim, but the undertow, huge waves and incredibly strong current were impossible, if not downright scary. I understand there's a huge storm hitting Texas and Oklahoma. I think we're getting the tail ends of it here. No rain, but dang was it windy and HOT! Here's Ned getting pummeled by the waves.

 

 

Unable to swim, and not having any shade from lack of an umbrella, we finally called it quits at the beach and decided a day at the campsite was really what we wanted to do. Our big event was getting spruced up (beach style) and riding our bikes to the tiny town of Grayton for an Anniversary Dinner Date.

This little beach side town was quite the scene on Memorial Weekend. We ate at Shorty's, a popular bar and restaurant and had so much fun watching the steady stream of people, cars, bikes and surfboards cruising the one block main drag. Here's one of my favorite pics. I almost felt like we were in Calif. It was a hoot watching the girls and guys checking each other out.

 

 

We had a fun dinner with peach margaritas, crab cakes, hush puppies and arugula salad. Love this picture of my honey.

Notice my margarita is empty and Ned's is still full. What can I say, it was a hot day and I was thirsty.

To continue celebrating our anniversary we rode our bikes thru this little town looking for an ice cream parlor. No luck. After our too many peach margaritas I didn't have it in me to ride our bikes to the next town, so we went exploring in the local little grocery store. Ned spotted this gem and we had to try it out.

Basically, it's just a micro-wave that zaps your frozen ice cream to make it a milk shake consistency. Oh Ned, you romantic you.

We enjoyed our ice cream al fresco sitting on the outside picnic tables. Only the finest dining for our anniversary dinner!

 

 

 

 

We ended up this special day by taking a walk on the beach at sunset. (Sounds like an internet dating sight, doesn't it? Oh wait, that's how we met!) A local couple snapped this shot of us. Nice end to a great day.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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