Orlando, Florida

Leaving the wilderness behind, we headed to the city of Orlando to visit my friend Miles for a few days. It was great to catch up with some old University friends including Miles and Megan who both moved down to Florida (lucky people that get to live in warm places). We went out for dinner at the Disney shopping area. This is basically a big mall with a variety of regular stores and includes many Disney themed stores. There is pretty much a store for every attraction! My favorite was the Lego store where you can build yourself as a Lego. Megan and I both pretty much looked the same (she couldn't find blonde hair).

Miles, Megan and I as Lego

During my stay I also got to go on a few hikes. Despite the lovely warm weather I wasn't lucky enough to find any snakes but there were many frogs around and I finally found a gopher tortoise. These adorable, long lived animals are an important keystone species in Florida. Their burrows are used by hundreds of different species but they are at risk due to human impacts.

Gopher Tortoise

Sadly leaving Orlando is the end of my trip. Beka and Brooke are continuing on without me and hopefully Quicksilver will stay in good shape for them to complete the trip and make it back home.

Salt Springs Campground, Ocala National Forest

Ocala National Forest at Salt Springs Campground was empty compared to the booked up campground in Anastasia State Park. They don't allow reservations and it is strictly a first come first serve basis. The park staff is really friendly and helpful and if they know you will be getting there a bit late they are willing to stay open for you.

Bear Swamp Trail, Salt Spring Campground in Ocala National Forest

The bear swamp trail is a nice short loop through some swamp and sandy forest. It is a beautiful area and looks like great habitat for all kinda of wildlife but we didn't see anything other than birds. There are a lot of black vultures in the sky with crows, woodpeckers and bluebirds in the trees. The recent high winds had blown town a few trees and cracked some parts of the boardwalk. Luckily none of the massive cypress trees had fallen or the boardwalk would have been very smushed and impassible.

Orange trees grow really well here and Beka and I went foraging for oranges in a big tree that was very... fruitful. The oranges were the best oranges I have ever had.

Fresh picked Florida oranges

The spring wasn't what I expected since the shoreline is built up. I understand that this is probably because large numbers of visitors were having a negative effect and eroding the shorelines. The water is crystal clear and you can walk out to where the water is coming out of cracks in the rocks. Massive fish are swimming around and some are even leaping out of the water.

Salt Springs in Ocala National Forest

In the winter manatees come up the rivers to the various springs in central Florida to get into warmer waters. Blue Springs State Park is one of the better known areas where you can see 100s of manatees at once in the river and spring. Unfortunately this is again a very busy area and required booking in advance. Luckily we did encounter some manatees at Salt Spring Campground. A few of them even came right up to us while we were swimming!

Manatee, Ocala National Forest in Florida

The experience with the manatees was surreal and definitely worth visiting this park. I wish I had brought my snorkeling equipment because I would love to be able to see them better and just opening my eyes underwater (yes you can do this because the water is fresh) isn't really the best view.

During our time in the water we did see a manatee that had been hit by a boat and was dead on the shoreline. The river is supposed to be idle boating only so that the boats go very slowly and the manatees have time to get out of the way and there are signs telling people to watch out for them. They also have specific ways to avoid stressing out the manatees, ie. don't chase them, don't try to ride them, let them come to you and don't surround them. Make sure they always have a way to get away if they want to and if they want to then let them get away. Luckily they are quite friendly and curious creatures so if you are patient and quiet they will likely come right up to you!

St Augustine and Anastasia State Park

We arrived in St Augustine after dark. The city looked magnificent in all of the Christmas lights. In the city park the trees had lights drooping down from the branches. There were pavilions with artists selling their prints and originals. I met a fantastic painter named Charles Dickinson (www.charlesdickinson.net) who does very detailed oil paintings of the scenery in Florida and sells his work in St. Augustine during the Christmas season. He is apparently there whenever the Christmas lights are up.

Local painter in St. Augustine

St Augustine is one of the nicest cities I have ever visited. The city was established in 1565 and is one of the oldest colonies in the United States. The architecture shows this. Everything looks very historic and detailed. The roads are very very thin and getting our van down some of the streets was....iffy.

St. Augustine decorated in Christmas lights

We stopped for a fantastic burger (and abut a gallon of sweet tea for me) after walking through town a bit and then we  headed to Anastasia State Park. The other state parks across the US were run on honesty policy and you grabbed a packet, wrote your plate number and the site number then put your money in and just went to an open site. Apparently in Florida it is not really first come first serve but rather reservation only. So we were locked out of the park! Luckily a ranger showed up and let us in and got us a site.

I didn't find anything other than raccoons on a short night walk but we did hear some barred owls calling in the distance. There seem to be a lot of barred owls in Florida this time of year. We hear them almost every night since arriving here.

In the morning I walked the marsh trail that runs along the inner bay of the park. I was very much hoping for a boardwalk or some nice lookouts over the marsh but it was just a trail with cut grass along the shoreline. There were some good views of marsh birds (mostly herons,egrets and cormorants) but the biggest surprise was seeing two dolphins catching their breakfast fish.

I was absolutely frozen after my morning walk because I had underestimated how cold the wind would be coming off the ocean. The sun was out but it was still only about 8 degrees and the wind was BLOWING! I jumped back into bed for about an hour just to be able to stop shivering.

When I was finally all warm after drinking some tea in bed, I bundled up and hiked the nature trail that went through some gorgeous old sand dunes that have grown into mixed wood forests with oaks, magnolias and pines.

Nature trail through old sand dunes in Anastasia State Park, Florida

It was a day of a lot of hiking because after that I hiked the dunes and beach!  This habitat is gorgeous and although I didn't see any live reptiles I did find some evidence of reptiles in the area. There were many burrows and even a decent sized snake skin. Unfortunately with the wind it was quite shredded and I can't tell what it was.

Walkway to the beach, Anastasia State Park in Florida.

Sane dunes at Anastasia State Park, Florida

Sunset along the beach brought all of the shorebirds to land and I saw flocks of 100s at various places all along the beach. There were many sandpipers, ruddy turnstones and plovers. It was very sad to have to leave this area. We all wanted to spend more time there but unfortunately the park was booked up for the entire weekend.

Sunset through a gap in the dunes, Anastasia State Park

Olustee Battlefield Historic State Park

After leaving Osceola we stopped at Olustee Battlefield State Park for a short walk around the battlefield. This hike takes you through a nice old forest with interpretive signs about the battle. There are a lot of fence lizards on the fallen trees and logs around the park.

Fence Lizard

Brown anoles (invasive species) are more common around the building. The staff at the park are very knowledgeable and incredibly friendly.  They helped me look for more reptiles and birds then sent us on our way with some recommendations for auto repairs and some canned food. 

Overall the park was fantastic spot for reptiles (although not the greatest season for it currently) and woodpeckers.  One of my favorites was a turtle that was seen by Jim (one of the park staff) from a distance as just a moving glisten on the grass. 

Florida Chicken Turtle

More and More of Georgia

Since visiting Georgia, Quicksilver has been taken into the mechanics six times.... For three days we were stranded in Byron/ Warner Robins, Georgia. We have been so close to the Florida border but just can't make it there. Initially mechanics thought it was a fuel problem and we had our fuel filter and fuel pump replaced. Our battery fried on one of the drives. Now we have a brand new catalytic converter and voltage regulator. Most recently, our radiator started leaking (suspiciously this started in the shop after they did a pressure test on it).

There really isn't much to do in these two small towns that we have experienced but we did manage to catch the Christmas parade in Warner Robins. The country flare definitely reminded us a bit of home.There were also a few sock fights in the van.

The best sock fight throws stick to the peoples heads

We also had the chance to busk for some money to pay for the repairs. I may not get Christmas music out of my head in this lifetime but we did pretty well and got a decent chuck to put towards our repair bills. Likely we will keep doing this down in Florida if we ever make it there. As well as Christmas music lot of original ad lib songs were created >> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lAe-wxtive4&feature=youtu.be

We're definitely hoping all of the issues are fixed this time around and that she is again in good shape to get us down south. We actually only have about an HOUR drive to the Florida border and the van should be ready from the mechanics shop any time now!

Georgia

On our way to Florida from Nashville we planned to stay with our friends from the Smoky Mountains National Park. We started having van trouble along the way but she kept chugging along (literally it was like Quicksilver had hiccups) and we were very late (3 hours). The ride towards Atlanta goes right through the mountains and is very scenic but at some points the hills were a bit much for our lovely lady in silver.

Despite our tardiness, even more southern hospitality awaited us. We had a full, wonderful home cooked meal and were able to shower, do laundry and sleep in a real bed for the first time in 12 days. The next day we took Quickie in to the local mechanic and got  the four things that have been breaking down on her 'fixed'.

We passed the time by shooting off some guns in the backyard. It was Brookes first time shooting a gun and at the first shot Beka screamed. Despite being new at it, Beka and Brooke were both great shots.

Target practice in Georgia with some revolvers

I also was able to find a bunch of critters in the back woods including some marble salamanders, newts, lizards and frogs. I wasn't able to find the kingsnake that lives in the shed.

Marble Salamander, Georgia

When we tried to make our way to Florida we made it about 20 minutes down the road before we realized we missed them too much and turned around... Actually we broke down and started stalling but managed to chug a lug our way back.

Fixing up the van

 Todd helped us replace a part on the van that could be causing the trouble and we took out Todd and Elizabeth for dinner at one of their favorite restaurants. The Mexican food was amazing at El Durango and it was incredibly affordable for the portions you get.

Nashville, Tennessee

Our very first experience in Nashville started off with some very random southern hospitality at it's finest. We planned to start at Centennial Park and the Parthenon in the west of the city and make our way downtown that evening by walking around.

What ended up happening is that we got out of the van at the park and promptly were offered beers. We had stumbled upon a tailgate party and spent a few hours drinking, eating homemade food and playing games like corn sack (bean bags or sand bags are used for this in Canada).

We left around when the game was going to start and hitchhiked downtown rather than walk the half an hour. Downtown was bustling and it was amazing to see live music at the world famous Tootsie's orchid lounge. The bar is small but the multiple stories provide multiple shows at one time and the rooftop patio has a great view of the Nashville downtown strip. Over the weekend we got to see a lot of the various bars. The music is variable but mostly country and rock.

Downtown Nashville is EXPENSIVE and I don't recommend it unless you like country music and have the money to spend. Otherwise your wonderful buzz from friendly tailgate parties will fade and you'll be sober and out of cash before midnight (but not until after checking out a few bars and riding at least one mechanical bull).


The final attraction we saw in Nashville was the Grand Ole Opry. A classic venue for country music and where the best of the best get inducted as members. The tour was very interesting for seeing the area backstage but it did feel quite rushed and they don't actually let you take pictures on the centre stage (for this you need to pay the professional photographer another $24.)

Claytor Lake State Park

I woke up at sunrise and went for a hike around Claytor Lake Trail. This was the longest trail in the park but it still only took about an hour to do. The park seems really nice for having a nice extensive beach and boat launch but the wild areas aren’t too impressive. Getting out in the morning and being active after so long in the van was exactly what the doctor ordered and I felt infinitely better afterwards.

Trails at dawn in Claytor Lake State Park

The park was a bit disappointing in the off season since they charged us $41 for regular camping because only their expensive RV campsites were open. We didn’t use any of the hookups but got charged the full amount. It didn’t say anywhere online that only the RV area was open and that you couldn’t get regular campsites that were half the price.The staff at the office were also some of the most unfriendly staff I have ever dealt with at any park I have been to (and this includes a lot).

Claytor Lake State Park

We FINALLY made it to the Smoky Mountains National Park. Again we arrived at night. After a few drinks we went to bed excited to finally wake up in one of our main destinations.

Battle of Cedar Creek Campground

 Battle of Cedar Creek Campground, Virginia is a nice and friendly small park that even though it wasn’t what we wanted was extremely useful to stop at. The park manager (Chris) got our microwave screwed in so it won’t fall out on our heads anymore. He was great and very helpful in terms of getting the washrooms and showers working and heated for us despite the building being under construction for the season.  This was also after the 100s of phone calls we had made to him the night before when trying to find the site (it was a large pull through site that to us just looked like a road) and get the water hooked up at 10pm.  

Cedar Creek at Battle of Cedar Creek Campground

 The park has canoes we could have used to go up the creek but since we didn’t really get going until 2pm we decided to just get on the road and keep heading south instead. The creek did look very nice and it would have been a nice experience. Everyone in the park had little dogs and Beka got her ankles attacked by a very fluffy Pomeranian that was upset with her for not continuing to pet him. 

We drove about 3 hours south along I81 to Claytor Lake State Park. After leaving so late we didn’t get there till dark and Brooke went to bed soon after we did some updated planning for our route and schedule that would compensate for our delays so far. Beka and I went for a short night hike from the campsite to the beach. It was quite lovely to get out even for a short period of time and walk. 

The Journey Begins... With a Bit of a Rough Start.

18/11/2016

After many delays, we finally crossed the border at Gananoque (Thousand Islands) around 6pm tonight. We are headed in the direction of Syracuse. Initially we planned on making it all the way to Locust Lake State Park in Pennsylvania but with the delays we didn’t make it out of New York. Luckily there are many places along highway 81 that you can stop at to avoid driving all night. We parked at a rest stop near Whitney Point, New York.  

Morning view from the rest stop

19/11/2016

We headed towards Philadelphia, PEN today to visit Brookes friend Neil. On the way we changed our plans and headed towards Locust Lake State Park. We were driving in a blizzard with wind strong enough to blow around the van on the highway. Arriving at Locust lake State Park really felt like the trip actually was beginning. We were 11 days behind schedule but having our first meal made in the van, playing cards, singing along with the guitar actually made it feel like we were on our way and done with the delays.

So far both Brooke and I (the short ones!) keep hitting our heads and hips on the van. We are covered in bruises. Beka keeps pinching her fingers on the old style seat belts and the corners of the cupboards are the bane to my already very scarred head.

Sometimes you try to find interesting ways to unscrew things... until you realize the swiss army knife has a screw driver on it.

20/11/2016

Waking up this morning to a gorgeous view of Locust Lake in a winter wonderland was refreshing and peaceful. The hemlocks were drooping with snow and the ground was sparkling.  Beka and I braved the cold and went for a bit of a dip in the lake. It was FREEZING! Beka was screaming the entire time until she got back into the van. My feet didn’t defrost for an hour.

We assumed that because the park was closed we didn’t need to park normally. The night before we had parked the van horizontally, giving us a great view when we walked out the doors in the morning.  As we were about to start a hike around the park the park ranger (Brian) pulled up and told us to park normally.

Locust Lake State Park 

We had a nice chat before heading out on our hike around the lake. It was a nice approximately 20 minute hike that was perfect for not spending too much time in the cold and getting on the road in pretty good time. The snow looked gorgeous in the forest and over the lake. I am definitely a fan of doing this trip in the season when parks aren’t busy.

Locust Lake State Park in a winter wonderland

Today we headed further south along highway 81 towards George Washington National Forest... BUT we didn’t make it. All of us are getting more and more frustrated as things never really work out as we planned them. Our RV battery died today so we realized we needed to actually hook up our van tonight. Many of the parks are closed for the season and we don’t know what ones still have access to hydro.  This meant stopping just north of George Washington National Forest in an RV park called Cedar Creek. The RV park means we have access to water and hydro to charge everything up again but it’s really crowded and I really just want to be outside in the wilderness. 

Van life combined with the constant delays is getting frustrating and definitely takes some adjustment to get used to. With three of us in one space there is very little room to store anything and we are constantly tripping over shoes and bags. All of our storage space is constantly blocked from being opened by bags and shoes. I am realizing that although I am not a clean freak by any means I might be a bit OCD about organization. I’m not really sure how to cope with this yet. I’ve tried organizing things in the van but it just doesn’t seem to help and I am constantly doing it. 

Brooke is also finding the space a bit cramped but mostly from the perspective of dealing with such a tiny kitchen when she loves to cook and prepare meals with a lot of space. Beka is finding the tight space stressful because all of us are getting frustrated and we have all had very little chance to relax.  For me writing this journal is a way to get things out of my head and relax at the end of the day. 

Beka trying to relax with a bit of colouring