Orlando on the Way Back Home

We attempted to start out early, but like any other beautiful place, it was difficult to leave.  The Bill Frederick Park is a treat, affordable, beautiful, and has lots to offer.  It was a quick breakfast, but after showers, preparing the coach for travelling, packing and washing the stuff we left outside after our going away from Florida Party the night before it was almost 10AM before we were on the road.

I think that I may have earned a red light ticket by passing through an intersection instead of slamming on the brakes.  I would have winded up in the middle of the intersection, but I was slightly distracted, not a good thing, and just passed through.  The light didn’t turn red until I was 75% through the intersection, so we’ll find out.  I learned my lesson, so I concentrated and tailgated all the traffic to make sure that I wouldn’t be the lone car approaching an intersection.  Oh! Municipal budgets and alternate revenue streams.

The rest of the trip was pretty interstate standard.  The amount of money spent by Washington is obscene when it comes to interstate travel, and they photocopy the same set of plans over and over to keep the same 12 guys employed.  If they put the same amount of real estate and money they put into one interchange to trip off 3 seconds to a trip, into low income housing, the problem of affordable housing would be fixed overnight.

We used the same section of Interstate 95 on the way south heading toward warm weather.  There is a large difference in attitude when you’re heading north and the temperature drops.  Your anticipation of the weather ahead is proportional to the temperature.  It was 43 degrees outside on the majority of the trip.  I was still in shorts because I’m more than stubborn.  On the way we made a pit stop for Louise and picked up some Indian River Citrus (grapefruit).  What a surprise that was.  Forty or so years ago I was in that neck of the woods and brought a big bag of grapefruit for next to nothing. Even with things being cheaper then, I gave it no thought and bought a bag.  There is no difference between grapefruit two miles from the river and two thousand.  They still want about a buck a fruit no matter where you are.  We passed grapefruit groves and orange groves, and I want to know what the fields weren’t n guarded by Brinks.  There’s more gold in grapefruit than there is in gold.

IMG_2284We made it to the Fort McAllister Campground in good time.  The place is beautiful, empty and private, even when at capacity.  We have water and electricity at the site with a good view of the low country.  To the north of our site is a salt marsh, interspersed with hammocks of pine, oak and palmetto. We took a walk looking for the nature trail and met a nice couple originally from Ohio, who are full timing in a new 2014 Sprinter based RV.  John, the husband, says he occasionally gets 20MPG and on a bad day gets 15MPG.  There are full timing in a unit just our size. I can see how that can be done comfortably.

IMG_2289It being Lent, we had a nice dinner of spaghetti, salad and the last of the nice bread from home from Anthony’s. I figure with the cell data expiring at midnight, I’ll type and post and enjoy a relaxing the rest of the evening.