This has been a relaxing day for us.  We spent a couple of hours at Fort Myers beach this afternoon.  It is a colourful scene.  There were lots of people on the beach, perhaps because it is a weekend.  It is the first busy beach that we have seen.

Trip mileage:  6037 miles

Dave and Linda suggested that we come to the Fort De Soto County Park in Saint Petersburg, and we are glad they did.  This is one of the nicest places we have stayed.  The park is located on a chain of five interconnected keys in Tampa Bay.  Our camp spot, which is surrounded by palm trees, is on the end of one of the keys and we look out over the water.  

There is an interesting variety of wildlife here as well.  We have a pair of pileated woodpeckers near us as well as a family of raccoons and countless little geckos.  There are also tree frogs which make a tremendous noise when they get going.  The raccoons were over investigating our campsite as soon as it got dark.  We had been warned about them and had everything well secured.

It is very hot and humid so we are keeping to the shade and enjoying every breath of breeze that comes our way.  Tomorrow the weather is supposed to break and we are looking forward to cooler temperatures, especially at night.

We have decided to stay here Friday night as well.

Trip Mileage:  5906 miles

Florida is experiencing unseasonably hot, humid weather  and unlike Alabama, it hasn’t been cooling down at night.  We were glad to be able to leave the van open to sleep. It took us awhile to get accustomed to the sounds of the forest.  There were a couple of owls hooting back and forth to each other and the armadillo was active in the bush.  Eventually our imaginations settled down and we were able to sleep.

Today, Dave and Linda very graciously hosted us to a spectacular tour of the River on their pontoon boat.  The Chassahowitzka River is fed by fresh water springs that bubble up from the river bed.  The river is shallow, with a limestone bottom and the water is crystal clear.  Linda has a great eye for spotting wildlife along the shore.  There were countless water birds including egrets and herons all along the shoreline.  Linda pointed out a large turtle, sunning itself on a log as well as two alligators.  One of the alligators was a good size, perhaps six or seven feet long.  Dave and Linda said it was the biggest they’ve seen in a while.  Bob sat on the edge of the boat to try to get a photo, but as we got close it jumped into the water and Bob missed getting the shot.   It is amazing how quickly such a large animal can move.

The river meanders along through the forest past fishing cabins and then opens up into vast salt grass flats where the river goes into the Gulf.  We stopped for lunch on Dog Island, which is in the middle of the flats.  The community of Chassahowitzka has built a dock and boardwalk to a covered picnic area which is for public use.   

On the way back we saw dolphins.  We looked for manatee, which frequent the river.  Although we saw the distinctive ripple that they make on the surface of the water, they were too deep for us to actually see them.

Dave took us to the local swimming hole down one of the many side branches of the river.  The water was warm and clear.  At that spot there are several openings in the limestone river bottom where the springs break through to the surface.  Two of these are connected by an underwater cave that is big enough to swim through.  Although we didn’t attempt that, there was a couple there who were swimming from one to the other.  It was a beautiful spot.

Chassahowitzka is a small town with a big sense of community.  On Tuesdays, the locals gather at the small hotel (Chassahowitzka River Lodge) across the street from Dave and Linda’s for a meal and fellowship.  Dave and Linda invited us to join them this evening.  We enjoyed meeting their neighbours and hearing the news and conversation.  Afterwards, we sat around a campfire in Dave and Linda’s back yard.  

Thanks Dave and Linda for showing us Chass!!

We slept with the back of our camper open last night so that we could take advantage of the breeze to cool us.  Early this morning the breeze picked up to a gusty wind and  raindrops on our faces compelled us to get an earlier start on our day than we had planned.  We broke camp quickly in the dark and were on the road before 7:00 a.m.  The rain didn’t amount to more than a slight shower and we were treated to a fiery sunrise that was enhanced by the clouds.  Although the area is very rural with very little sign of habitation, we were surprised by the amount of traffic on the road.  There was a stream of cars and school buses all headed to a large school located at what seemed to be the intersection of the two main roads in the area.  It was much darker at 8:00 a.m. for the students arriving at school here in October, than for our students in December.

The drive today wasn’t very scenic as we continued to travel through the pine forest.  Logging seems to be a major industry here.  It looked as though the area has been logged and re-forested several times. 

This afternoon we arrived at Chassahowitzka, where we are camped at the Chassahowitzka River County Park. The campground fronts on the Chassahowitzka River and is surrounded on the other sides by tropical forest.  Our campsite backs onto the forest and we look out to palm trees, rubber trees, oak and palmettos.  We have the campground pretty much to ourselves.

Our friends, Dave and Linda Blatt, live here. This evening they took us to one of their favourite spots, the Freezer, which is an old fish processing plant on a marina that has been converted to a restaurant.  Bob came here with them a couple of years ago when he was visiting and has been raving about it ever since.  We enjoyed a meal of clam chowder, smoked mullet and steamed shrimp fresh from the Gulf.

Back at our campsite this evening we sat out in the dark and listened to the many strange sounds coming from the forest.  The squirrels jump into the dry leaves of the palm trees which makes a very loud crashing sound that is quite startling until you get used to it.  We heard some underbrush snapping and an armadillo came wandering out to the open.  This was the first live armadillo we have seen.  Add in the sound of the tree frogs and the owls and it all seemed very tropically exotic.

Trip Mileage:  5817 miles

For the first part of the day, the road followed along the Gulf coastline.  We crossed some incredible bridges over the bays and inlets.  Several were so long that drivers were cautioned to check their fuel before setting out to cross.  Unlike Mississippi and Alabama, every available space of beachfront was developed into homes, condos or retail.  There were spots with public access to the beach and we did get out for a walk.  The stretch of coastline from Pensacola to Panama City is known as the Emerald Coast, and it is aptly named.  The colour of the water ranges from aquamarine to jade green.

At Apalachicola, the road leaves the coast and heads inland.  We drove through miles of dense forest.  The local information brochure described it as pine flat woods, named for the flat monotonous topography.  It was a very undeveloped area and stores and restaurants in the few, small towns along the way were all closed for Sunday.  We ended up buying a pizza at the Sopchoppy Chevron Station, the only place that was open.  The State Park where we are staying is beautiful.  Our camp spot is on the river shore.  We are surrounded by pine trees and palmettos.  There is a wide variety of wildlife in the area  and we were fortunate to catch a glimpse of a white squirrel, a rare colour variant of the Eastern gray squirrel.  

Trip Mileage:  5619 miles

Today we visited Gulf Shores, a beach resort town just south of our camp spot.  These Alabama beaches are the world's best kept secret. We haven't seen any more beautiful.  The sand is deep, fine and white and the water a beautiful azure blue.  We saw dolphins swimming just off the shore.

We are thoroughly enjoying this corner of Alabama and have decided to stay here until the weekend.  We are going to spend more time at the beach, read our books and explore some of the towns in the area.

This was a day of pleasant surprises.  The first was Mississippi.  We drove along the Gulf coast which is an uninterrupted beach of beautiful white sand from one side of the state to the other.  It was absolutely spectacular. The entire stretch is public beach.  

At the first beach we stopped there was no evidence of damage from the oil spill, however as we got further along we noticed crews out along the beaches collecting something.  We got out and had a look and spoke with them. The high water line was marked by deposits of a black granular substance like coarse black sand, and we found some pieces of what looked like bits of asphalt shingles.  The workers said that although it has improved these still keep washing ashore.  They have noticed dead fish, but birds do not seem to be affected. We saw dolphins off shore and lots of birds.  Later on at our campsite we spoke with a man who said the next step in the clean up process is to dredge up the sand to see if there are any oil deposits below the surface.

Mississippi isn't very wide where it borders the Gulf,  so it didn't take us too long to cross into Alabama.  Again, we were surprised at how beautiful the coastline is.  We drove the scenic route along the Alabama shoreline and passed through some picturesque and peaceful little towns.  

Our camp spot is on the edge of a nine-hole golf course and surrounded by giant oak trees. After our time in the cities, we noticed the quiet.  Now that it is dark, the crickets are chirping but it is still peaceful.  We are content to stay put for a few days as this is one of the nicest spots we have camped so far.  We will make forays out to explore the area.

Trip Mileage:  5346 miles

The beautiful weather continues in New Orleans.  Last night we listened to a number of groups on Bourbon Street, including the Zydeco Hell-raisers at Krazy Korner.  Absolutely awesome high energy group playing Louisiana cajun rock-blues (ie zydeco) with lead, bass, accordion, washboard, and drums,

This morning we were out for another walking tour of the French Quarter, including breakfast at Patisserie D'Or.  A quiet afternoon - this evening we plan to do another music tour ...

Tomorrow we proceed east to the Alabama gulf coast.

There is a wonderful spirit of "joie de vivre" in New Orleans; at least in the areas that we have visited.  Last night we joined the crowds on Bourbon Street to sample some cajun cooking and listen to the wide variety of live music that is offered at every turn.  We listened to Steamboat Willie;  a trio with bass, trumpet (and vocals) and banjo who played old tunes from the twenties with a jazz twist. All three were excellent musicians, but the banjo player was phenomenal.  Further down the street there was a rock group playing, then a rhythm and blues group and so on.    It was a very festive atmosphere.

This morning we did a walking tour of the French Quarter.  The streets are narrow and the architecture is 18th century Spanish colonial.  It feels like France.  Among the many interesting historic sites were:  The Old Ursuline Convent, which is the oldest structure in the Mississippi River Valley and the only remaining French building in the Quarter.  The French Market was originally a native trading post.  It is the oldest public market in the US.  We walked past the Faulkner House, where William Faulkner resided and the house where Tennessee Williams lived in 1946 - 1947 while he wrote A Streetcar Named Desire.  We discovered a wonderful patisserie and treated ourselves to a cafe au lait and croissants for breakfast.  

This afternoon we took the Canal Street Ferry across the river to Algiers, which is a very attractive and peaceful community.  The ferry is free for pedestrians, and fast. It only takes about five minutes to cross the river.