We made it to Florida. Its busy everywhere we are looking at going to. Also we didn’t plan or pay attention enough to Spring Break dates. We were there with all the Spring Break campers and travelers. We found a great spot for only 3 days in Niceville FL, which is north of Destin, along a Bayou. Good Coffee: Tango 3 Good Brewery in Destin: Destin Brewing Good Parks: Fred Gannon State Park. Destin has some awesome blue water and white sand beaches. We found a great spot over the bridge and a short walk around the jetty.
I hope everyone is not tired of looking at beach/ocean photos yet because I have more!!! I am trying to get better at taking more pictures but I also don’t want to always have my camera when we go exploring.
Dirtbiking- Clifton FL at Hard Labor Track. Camped next to a great family and we all became quick friends and learned a lot from them. The boys all got so much better and confident in their riding. they all rode different sizes and types of bikes. Scott go to get his adrenaline fix and ride with a teen boy. They both pushed each other to be better and improved their skills as they rode together. We spend 3 days here riding dirt bikes, riding bikes, playing catch, and hanging out with others. It was great to find a quick community that rejuvenated us as we were struggling with loneliness, stress and overwhelmed by the never ending needs. (Still need to blog about this reality)
Small town along the bayou/rivers is great for fishing and is providing us with amazing new experiences and scenery. In Wewa we are camping along ponds with fish, turtles, ducks and even a water moccasin (unwanted). We have a story about the snake but it ends with the camp host shooting it and it being about 6 feet long. In Sopchoppy we were camped in a park along the river that had a nature trail. I totally expected to be eaten by an alligator or attacked by snakes, opossums or something but we saw NO wildlife. Actually, we have seen very little as far as critters go but have found plenty of fire ants, sand gnats, no-see-ums, and mosquitoes. We didn’t get to explore all the Old-Florida small towns along the route like we would have loved to do but we are saying Florida is a state we will come back to and devote much more time and shorter distances with longer stays per area. Oh and we should probably make reservations in advance if we want to find spots.
Last place we stayed was Hart Springs Campground where there are natural springs that come up above ground and provide warmer water that is clear and usually green or blue. Manatees like to go into the springs to find the warmer water and algae. We got to briefly see a mom and baby swim off and got to watch another one eat and then come up for breath then eat again. We still are amazed at the different landscape of the marshy, thick treed river banks and forests with trees that grow in perfect lines. Why?
