We packed up and got ready to head out this morning after a couple of great days at Sunset Isles RV Park. The weather this morning has turned a bit and we are looking at gusty winds and drizzly skies. I’d say that it is cold but I am sure it will be met by sneers and jeers from our friends in sub zero temperatures in the north.
The only Cedar Key experience we didn’t have is a trip over to Low Key Hideaway Tiki Bar and Motel. It’s a favorite spot for many of the new friends we have met here but since they are not kid-friendly, we are not allowed to bring them with us. It’s no big deal, we are use to that. This morning we got to chat a bit more with Chris and Cherie of Technomadia. They have been on the road full timing for many years and started in a little T@B trailier just as we did.
They have since moved up into a cool vintage converted bus that they recently purchased from the dry, arrid desert of Arizona. It was converted to a motorcoach by its previous owners who never got a chance to use it before health reasons forced him to store it away for 20 years.
They have done a fantastic job of turning the interior into a full timer’s dream. If you are a follower of their blog, you can read all of the cool projects they have been working on to make this one of the coolest home on wheels. As software developers, they also have created a couple of really handy iOS apps for fellow travelers called Coverage? and State Lines that is worth checking out.
Our plan today is to make our way north towards Apalachicola and find a nearby parking lot to spend the night. The drive out of Cedar Key takes us back towards Chiefland and through much of Florida’s rural country.
This part of Florida has more in common with the deep south than it does with its southern neighbors. At a tiny little crossroads in nearby Fanning Springs, we stopped at a little roadside BBQ joint called the BBQ Shack.
We had low expectations but the food turned out to be fantastic. Everything from hot wings, pulled pork to fish and chips were delicious and very reasonably priced to boot.
The scenic drive took us through several small state routes with very sparsely populated areas. The speed limit here is mostly 55 MPH but you do have to look out for speed traps that can quickly dip down to 35 MPH with very little notice.
In fact we came across just such speed trap. As I was running along at 55 MPH set on the cruise control, the speed limit when down to 35 and back up to 55 all within about a half mile of road. Usually the decrease in speed limit is because the road passes through a small town. In this case, it was only due to the intersection of a small and barely visible logging road.
Apparently the deputy sheriffs are familiar with this stretch of the road and as we passed, 2 of them were park to the side facing opposite directions with laser guns in hand. This guy apparently clocked me at 57 MPH but I think he just really wanted to check out the Airstream up close.
Having driven over 30,000 miles with the Airstream across the country 4 times, this is the first time we have ever been pulled over by any law enforcement of any kind. Wakulla county of Florida gets the award for keeping their back roads safe from dangerous motorists like me.
Perhaps I shouldn’t complain since I was let off with just a warning. I suppose that means the aforementioned award is still up for grabs.
Our plan is to head over to St Joseph Peninsula State Park tomorrow but we will need a place to park for the night. While we were in Cedar Key, we finally drained out our 2 propane tanks. The last time we filled them up was in Charleston, South Carolina nearly two months ago. It makes a big difference when we stopped using the furnace at night as the weather got warmer.
We found an Ace Hardware store in the small town of Crawfordville, FL that offers propane refills. Unless the temperature dips severely, this should last until we get to the west coast.
I would have just stopped and done the refill on my own but once Marlene and the girls found out about little chicks in the store, it became a field trip.
If we weren’t on the road, we would totally get a couple of these little guys to run around our backyard.
Ava and Mila were smitten by these little guys. They could not take their eyes away from them.
Just down the road, we found ourselves an overnight-friendly Walmart to call home for the night. We stocked up on supplies and even got Mila her very own umbrella in case it started to rain again. Against our best judgment, she insisted on using it inside the Mish. Bad luck shmad luck.
Tomorrow we will head over to Apalachicola for the day and hope to get a site at St Joseph Peninsula State Park for a couple of nights.
over and out,
dan
0 Comments