Florida Keys

“You ready ski cat?”, “Hit it Jackson”. We loaded the camper on the truck, hitched the Tracker on the back, coaxed Ali Kitty into the camper and took off into a blinding sand storm on Saturday, April 5. In our wisdom we looked at the blowing dust and decided to wait until Sunday morning to start this trip. We returned home to regroup and left the next morning on a bright beautiful sunny day, without Ali kitty, it didn’t take her long to let us know she really had no interest in traveling. We found a kitty sitter and took off on I-10 heading east. Our intention was to use the smaller less traveled highways but this first leg was on the interstate.

Our trip across New Mexico to Fort Stockton, Texas was OK but I must admit the landscape didn’t change much. We crossed the border into Texas and spotted the ‘Welcome to Texas Visitor Center’ sign. Unfortunately this Visitor Center is right next to the state prison. This doesn’t seem to bode well for tourism. The Visitor Center building looked worse than the prison, in fact we weren’t sure it was even open, but inside it was pretty nice. The bathrooms were all done in marble and the facility was upscale, well if you don’t count the barb wire! They had loads of information on Texas but they could have summed it up with, ‘it’s a reallllly big state’.

Just east of El Paso there was an accident blocking the eastbound highway. No frontage road so we were off on a detour that took us about 40 miles on back roads through small farming areas, this detour was one of the first highlights of the trip. We loved seeing the farming communities.

River Walk in Austin, Texas

Our first night was at the Walmart in Fort Stockton, now I know what you are thinking.

Walmart? But if you have ever been to Ft. Stockton you would understand. Except for the Sonic Drive-in, where all the young people are cruising, there isn’t much in Ft. Stockton. We pulled our rig into a spot next to a $300,000 motor home towing a new Grand Cherokee. We weren’t in bad company, and actually our rig was the eighth to arrive and more came in after we called it a night. We have to hand it to Walmart for recognizing the RV traveler. Walmart doesn’ t discourage overnight stays in the parking lots knowing RVers will come in and stock up on supplies.The next stop was Boerne, Texas, located just outside of San Antonio.

The RV park was nice and the were people friendly. We drove the Tracker into San Antonio the next day and toured the Alamo, listened to the Ranger talk and read all the story boards. The River Walk, was delightful and we really enjoyed the architecture of the old buildings. The restaurants were right on the water with tables at the water’s edge, we had good Mexican food and stayed around to listen to live music.

The next day we left Boerne, heading for the gulf area. We stuck with I-10 through Houston, that was an experience. We decided then and there we’d plan to hit the big cities on Sundays or at least not during rush hour. Surviving that ordeal, we headed for the coast area and Port Arthur. We stumbled on a small state park right on the waters edge before crossing the bridge into Louisiana. We enjoyed watching the people fish and since that is a big oil refinery area there were huge tankers pulling in and out of the bay. Just not the sort of thing you see in our desert home. It was fascinating to watch all the activity.

We crossed over into Louisiana in the morning and drove thru the Sabine Wildlife Refuge, Holly Beach and Hackberry on the way up State Highway 27. We enjoy seeing out of the way places and Holly and Hackberry certainly qualified, they were just small fishing areas with a couple of boat tie ups and a few houses. Not many places to pull off the road to look at the Sabine area, we couldn’t identify the turn outs before it was too late to stop, so we didn’t get to spend any time there. We could see it was swampy with only a couple of short nature trails. There were several groups of people fishing along the road.

We continued on up through Lake Charles and Lafayette, LA. We headed south through Plaquemines hoping to see some of the Cajun country along Highway 1. We soon discovered Louisiana does not get a high score for posting signs or for well maintained roads for that matter. It was the only place we traveled, this trip, that we complained about the old concrete highways and the signs that were posted immediately at the turn with no warning to anticipate the turn. We were heading to Thidodaux, but all of a sudden we were crossing the Mississippi and Thidodaux was in the rearview mirror.

We found our KOA on the West side of New Orleans and got settled in our spot. It was a nice place with huge trees and clean facilities. We talked to several other people traveling through the area and one couple who were full timers and had been at this park for three months. Monty and I agreed that is a long stay even for a place as great at New Orleans. We discovered RV travelers are eager to share where they have been and what they stopped to see. Good time to take notes!

Incredible Tree in Audubon Park, New Orleans

We walked along the levy and watched the Mississippi. We saw some turtles and neat birds. The levy is well used, the asphalt track on top has a lot of activity from bikes, roller blades, walkers and joggers. We headed into New Orleans that evening for dinner and to look around. The directions were excellent and although it was a bit expensive to park the car near the French Quarter it was great fun, lots of music and activities. Some gal flashed Monty her boobs, he said something like “so that’s what they are supposed to look like!” Such a smart alex!

We had dinner at the Gumbo Shack and afterwards stopped at the famous Café Du Monde for coffee with chicory. We sampled the beignets and we were instantly hooked on the sweet treat.

The next day we headed to New Orleans earlier in the day and drove down St. Charles Street and walked all over the garden district. The houses were beautiful and the trees were out of this world. I can’t imagine living somewhere like this, I’ve spent way too much time in the desert. If you have a leaf blower and a hedge trimmer you have a job for life there. It appears everyone has their yard professionally cared for. Lots of remodeling going on, workmen everywhere, we went into a huge place that was under remodel construction, beautiful old house with little fireplaces in all the rooms and a spectacular staircase. We walked through one of the cemeteries and read the inscriptions. Yup, just like the pictures the tombs are above ground, it is a little creepy. We stumbled upon Tulane University, walked thru Audubon Park and then headed to the French Quarter again for dinner. Since we usually eat at ‘home’ it is a treat to be where the food is definitely different and we took advantage of the opportunity to enjoy some Cajun food. We enjoyed New Orleans and in hindsight it would have been fun to take a Grayline tour of the city to hear more of the history, etc. Next time!

We were amazed at the scenery in Mississippi. It started with the Visitor Center that looked like an old plantation home. Red brick with white columns, peaked roof, expansive lawn, flowers everywhere and even a small fishing pier. Wow, this ain’t Arizona, Toto. Back in the truck we were loaded down with maps and tourist information. A good part of the time the highway was elevated and we were driving just above the swamps. My gosh we love this!

The next morning we headed for Gulf Shores, Alabama. This turned out to be a rain day so we just kept driving, no sense going to the beach in the rain. We stopped at a State park in Mississippi and checked out the displays, video presentation and walked out on the boardwalk to identify trees and look for birds. We continued along the beach drive admiring the houses and the great beaches. We stopped next to the beach for lunch in the camper on a gray windy day.

We entered Florida in a blinding rain storm. There, big as life, is the tourist center with the sign ‘Welcome to the Sunshine State.’ It was pretty funny but it was raining so hard it was not likely we could get a picture of the sign. We made a mad dash to the center, getting soaked on the way, but the place was almost like a library it had so many shelves with brochures for everything the state had to offer. Florida has an award winning State Park system and we plan to sample them when we can, RV parks are not our first choice.

The little towns in this part of the panhandle of Florida are very nice, Mary Esther is lovely and so is Gulf Breeze. The next morning dawns beautiful and sunny and that is the last rain we saw on this four week trip. We stopped at the beach and took the first of many beach pictures at Pensacola. Our destination is Destin Florida. We’ve heard there is a campground right on the beach in Destin and we are eager to pull out the beach chairs and enjoy it.

Camping on the Gulf is the name of this resort and it really is camping on the gulf. We’d make reservations next time but we seemed to be in the right place at the right time for this whole trip and never had trouble finding accommodations. We selected a spot right on the sand. It was great, just walk out the door to the beach. The sunsets were too beautiful to describe, the beach provided great people watching without being overly crowded and the walking was good. We just might fall in love with Florida if this is any indication of the beaches, water and weather. We went out to dinner at Pompano Joe’s, right on the water with a wonderful cool ocean breeze.

Destin Beach, Florida

We met a young couple with three little kids camped next to us. They were from Alabama and it was the second time they brought an older motor home down to the beach for a week for the kids to play. Met a retired couple from New York who recently purchased a place in southern Florida to spend winters. They were going to New Orleans and then on the Natchez trace back toward New York. They had a motor home that must have been in the $300,000 range and talked about their hunting cabin and flying back up to New York from Florida to make maple syrup in March. We love meeting all of these interesting people.

The refrigerator was acting up so we pulled out of the park and stopped at the outlet mall across the street. Monty worked on the refrigerator for a bit and I cleaned house and bought another fanny pack. The lime green one I have been wearing just doesn’t match anything I own. Thank goodness!

From Destin we took beach highway 98 to the little town of Lanmark. We stayed at the Ho Hum RV Park. It was a nice little laid back place right on the Gulf. We met an interesting old guy from Tallahassee fishing on the pier at the park. He was eager to tell us how he’d been fishing in this ‘puddle’ for over 75 years. He and his wife visited Lafayette, Louisiana a few years ago and when they told the desk clerk they were from Tallahassee she asked them what in the world they were doing in Lafayette. He looked at his wife and wondered the same thing, they went home the next morning. We aren’t sure if that is the only time this guy ever left the state of Florida but we’re willing to bet it was.

St. George Island, Florida

He was really a hoot telling us how this young kid from Fish and Game wanted to check his license and when he saw that he had a lifetime (over 70 ) license, this young kid said, “Oh, you have one of those old guys licenses” this fellow said. “Yes, and if you live long enough you may get one too”. Then he continued to tell us the kid is going to cite him for not having a whistle on his boat. “Now why in the world would I need a whistle?”, the kid replied, “Well if you are on the water and someone is coming along in another boat and doesn’t see you, you should blow the whistle”. “Now I ask him, if the guy doesn’t see me how in the hell is he going to hear me blowing this damn whistle” but now I have a whistle in my tackle box, never used the damn thing but the kid is happy.

We did some back tracking to go and see St. George Island. There is a causeway over the water out to the island and it is a beautiful place. There are some condos for rent along the beach but the best part is the state park on the East end of the island. There are miles and miles of white sand beaches and sand dunes. The campground was full but we will definitely return to this spot. Absolutely loved it.

Boardwalk Manatee Springs, Florida

We met an interesting couple who have stayed in Tucson many times out by the Sonora Desert Museum. They saw our Arizona license plate and waited around until we finished our beach walk. They gave us some great tips on several state parks we should see on our way down the Florida coast. Our new BFF’s gave us invaluable advice and we loved their suggestions.

Cyprus Knees, Manatee Springs Park

Next stop was the Manatee Springs State Park, I don’t know when we have seen anything more beautiful. There are huge trees and spacious campsites. We were right on the water near the sinkhole. The sinkhole is where the top of one of the caverns caved in and the water is at the top now. This park has a spring that pumps one million gallons of crystal clear water a day. It includes an underground cavern system that divers use to explore the caves. The Boil refers to where the water comes up to the surface and provides a great swimming hole. They have canoes for rent, but the best part was the boardwalk. I love boardwalks and this one followed the spring right down to the Suwannee River. The area is swampy and there are alligators, turtles, water snakes, lots of fish and of course the manatees that come in to enjoy the warmer water of the spring. We didn’t expect to see any manatees this time of the year but when we went out on the boardwalk we spotted two manatees frolicking in the water. They played there for quite a while and then headed straight up the spring. We loved everything about this place, from the fire flies at night to the water snake zipping thru the swamp. This was truly one of the high points of the trip.

We walked the boardwalk again in the morning and then hit the road, next stop the Homasassa Wildlife Park. This park has been in operation since the 1930’s. A short boat ride takes you over to the area where you can walk around the habitats. This park accepts wounded animals and the critters not able to be set free for one reason or another. They have interesting birds, alligators, otters, turtles, and of course the claim to fame, manatees. The manatees were in a large pond with both an above ground and underwater viewing place to see these big guys. It was nice to get a better look after seeing them in the river yesterday. You get an idea just how big they are.

Florida Sunset

We headed into the Clearwater/St. Petersburg area for a day of sightseeing. Enjoyed the many bridges over the various inlets, this was the only place that we had a lot of toll bridges. This area is very developed and full of high rise condos, and shopping, the beach is crowded and there is plenty of traffic. Stopped and looked at the pier area, St. John’s Pass and had lunch, then off to Fort De Soto Park. It is a large park with bike paths, walking trails, etc., some of the structure of the old fort is still standing and they provide a walking tour. The museum is small but nice and informative.

We headed back toward the Clearwater area to catch the evening music on the pier and of course watch the sunset. Lots of arts and crafts venders on the pier and the music was enjoyable. Weather was just perfect. This is before GPS and we learned a valuable lesson here. Always pick out landmarks to find your way back to your camp. We left in the morning and returned way into the night. Our trek reminded us of the Eagles song “Been up and down this highway and haven’t seen a God damn thing” We didn’t recognize anything on this road and were getting a little panicky when we finally spotted a billboard that we remembered. Lesson learned!! Always carry breadcrumbs!!!

We traveled more inland for much of this next leg of the trip, golf courses, small towns, and waterways with houses on either side. We are beginning to think everyone in Florida owns a boat. Some of the houses near the water are on regular streets but what we would consider an alley in the rear of the property is actually a water inlet with boats tied up at the rear of all of the houses. Many of the boats are out of the water on lifts.

We stopped near Everglade City to pick up information and found out about a picnic spot down the road that has alligators. I’m not sure if the gators are there for a picnic or hoping to snag a picnicker. We stopped for lunch and sure enough lots of alligators were just passing through in the stream or sunning themselves on the shore. We don’t see a lot of alligators in Tucson so it was pretty neat. We decided to stop in the Everglades National Park on the return trip from the Keys. So we pressed on to Key Largo for the night.

We enjoyed this area of Florida, there were acres and acres of bedding plants being grown for Home Depot nurseries. Lots of produce being grown, pick your own or of course there was Grandma’s Produce Stand. We stopped there and stocked up on tomatoes, strawberries and grapefruit.

Key Largo, Florida

We heard the RV parks on the Keys were very expensive and usually full, our preference is the state park option, but we called the two state parks on the Keys and they were full. We checked the camping Florida brochure and there was a RV park nearby so we stopped there. It was less than ideal, it appeared that a lot of people used it as their permanent home and must work nearby. It was not the place that we cared to stay so, we just spent one night and continued our journey.

As luck would have it, we found the Jolly Roger Park on Grassy Key for the unheard of bargain price of $25. We parked right on the edge of the water and even snorkeled in the bay, lots of rock lobsters and fish. We ended up going in to Key West two days. It was such fun, we just put the top down on the Tracker and headed to the southern most tip of the US.

Celebrating Sunset at Mallory Square, Key West

This again is mid-April and the end of the winter season for the parks down here. The lady who ran the Jolly Roger was a tough old bird. We went in to ask a question and she was on the phone talking to a prospective guest . Apparently he wanted a reservation for next winter, she reviewed her notes and informed him, in no uncertain terms, that he was a jerk when he was here this winter and she wouldn’t have a place for him or anyone else in his party next season and don’t bother to call back.

She clunked down the phone and was perfectly nice to us.

We took the Conch train tour around Key West, we loved the architecture, history of the islands and the local color commentary. On Mallory Square the whole town celebrates the sunset every night. What’s not to love about a place that celebrates sunset every night! It was really something to see, all kinds of entertainment, from magicians, one man bands, musical groups, and dancing, to handmade jewelry and, of course, lots of watercolors of beach scenes. There was Key Lime pie, cookies, candy, jelly and anything else you can imagine.

Sunset, Key West

Dominic and his flying house cats was a crowd favorite. Dominic was the strangest being, but he was fun and the house cats did really fly through hoops made of fishing net and even one that was on fire. They were truly entertaining. Our favorite line he used on the cats, ‘hurry up now, take your time’. The cats did amazing things, from working their way out of a ‘locked’ cage and sneaking up on Dominic and riding on his back and then of course pretending to ignore him. There must have been over hundred people gathered around to watch the cats.

Living Statue

The living statue of the young lady all in white attracted a lot of attention also. People pick the strangest way to earn a living. There were lots of opportunities to take sailing ships out for sunset rides or catamarans to the Dry Tortugas but we didn’t take advantage of those this trip. Maybe next time, famous words we are regretting.

I think there is always the sail boat that crossed the setting sun in the perfect spot each evening. The cameras were out and actually the gals on the boat were topless. I had the camera, Monty had the binoculars. Ah yes, Monty loves this place.

We enjoyed the Mel Fisher museum. Remember Mel Fisher discovered the Atocha, the Spanish treasure ship that was lost on the reefs near Florida. Every morning he said, “This is the day” and finally after 16 years it was the day they found the Atocha. The treasure aboard was still there and the displays in the museum were really something to see. Emeralds loose and in beautifully crafted jewelry and bars of gold and silver, each with the date, weight and tax information engraved on them. It was a good afternoon spent seeing these treasures.

We didn’t go in the Hemingway House, but did see some of the famous six toed cats. Did you know there is actually a Florida Keys White House that Truman used? Yep.

Free Range Chickens, Key West

Most of the eating establishments were open air and had live music. The entertainment was great. We ate key lime pie, and drank key lime margaritas. We walked a lot and stopped to eat and listen to the music and just thoroughly enjoyed Key West. Of course we ate at Sloppy Joe’s the famous restaurant where Ernest Hemingway hung out, it is an open air bar/restaurant with lots of Hemingway memorabilia on the walls. We shared a table with a couple from PA. They were staying in a condo but taking care of their daughter’s dog while she and her husband were in Scottsdale, AZ on a golf outing. The daughter came to visit in Key West and loved it, bought a houseboat, sold the motor had the boat towed to a slip in the marina and has lived there for ten years. Married a fisherman. We love meeting people, it is one of the real perks of travel.

When we left the Keys we headed back to the Everglades, for some reason we missed the turn and about the time we passed Grandma’s Produce Stand again we realized we were too far north. So we made the obvious choice of picking up more produce before turning around.

Anhinga, the Everglades

Everglades National Park was not what we expected. The brochures are right in that this may be the only National Park selected for the preservation of an ecosystem, not necessarily the natural beauty of the area. The visitor center was very nice with a simulated pond and the various birds, fish, turtles and gators you might spot at a typical pond. Out in the park there are boardwalks that allow you to walk right out into the ponds, to get close to the critters

We saw some beautiful birds called anhingas. They are quite large with beautiful long necks and pointed beaks so they can dive for fish. Their feathers are not waterproof so they have to sit and dry out after they dive so they can then fly. We were really intrigued by these great birds. Saw lots of turtles, both grown and baby alligators, and all sorts of fish, even fish eating fish which was a little weird. The vegetation is mostly grassland with mangrove forests, the water table is very near the surface so it is swampy. The mangrove is the only plant that can turn salt water into freshwater to use so they grow in great masses along the shore, they actually call them mangrove swamps.

We walked through one area that had been hit by a hurricane some years ago and was slowly returning to health. The devastation was hard to believe. We enjoyed the trails that wound through the rain forests area with descriptions of the plants, etc.

Kite Flying St. Joseph’s Island

There were a lot of European tourists in the park, we later learned the park is a popular stop for people arriving in Miami. We talked to a young man from Canada, he let us look through his spotting scope at a huge crocodile. Apparently crocodiles are unusual here in the Everglades, alligators are common but crocs are not. We couldn’t see the croc across the pond he blended in so well with the brush but when we peeked thru the scope it was an OMG moment. He was absolutely huge.

We planned to camp at the Everglades campground but it was empty save for one rig, apparently the camp host. The problem being monstrous horse flies everywhere. They were awful, even banging into the windows of the truck. The camp hosts were running out the door of their rig armed with fly swatters and were busy flailing away at the critters before they quickly opened and closed the doors.

Needless to say, we didn’t feel compelled to spend the night there. So we drove on and had dinner in the parking lot of the Cypress Tree Park. We looked at several other campgrounds along the way and all had the flies. All along this area there is swamp type land on both sides of the road. Lots of people fishing along the road off the bridges, etc.

We were originally going to stop at Naples and the area along the beach but reviewing the Florida book reminded us it was mainly a residential area with shopping and high rises. Although we love the beach we decided to head more inland and up thru Ocala and then over toward the beach near the panhandle. Ocala was a beautiful area, lots of horse property, houses with great grassy yards and tall trees and many even had race tracks on the property. We thought it was just lovely. Stayed at a strange park for the night. It was sort of on the way to a marina but the park was pretty empty only a few permanent residents. I don’t think we actually saw any people there but they did have big trees and nice grass and we were able to find a space away from everyone else. It was fine for the night.

Next stop was back in the panhandle at St. Joseph’s Peninsula State Park. This park had room for several hundred campers but we were lucky to get a spot for this Friday night. It was a lovely park with miles of beach along the gulf and some along the bay side. We walked on the beach, sat in the sun and Monty flew his kite. We walked on the beach in the moon light under the full moon. A raccoon walked right thru our camp while we were having a drink before dinner. He just walked out from one hedgerow to the next one. Also saw some beach mice running around. The raccoon seemed to say, “Which way did they go?”

We went to Gulf Shores, Alabama to check out the Flora Bama Bar. The RV Park was probably the nicest we stayed at this trip but the residents were mostly from Alabama and so it didn’t have the atmosphere of people traveling from one place to another. It was a huge place with pool and lots of nice shower and laundry facilities. This whole area had grown up considerably since Monty had been there in 1989 on company business. Our plan to participate in the Mullet Toss at the Flora Bama bar was foiled when we saw the two block long line of young people waiting to get into the place.

USS Alabama, Mobile, Alabama

On our way out of Alabama, we spent about three hours at the USS Alabama in the port at Mobile. It was a great tour of the battleship and also included a submarine and hanger full of old planes. Monty had toured a submarine when we went to San Francisco but this was the first time I’d been inside one and it was very interesting.

We are amazed at the beautiful rest stops in the South. Some of them look like golf courses. The Visitor Centers naturally go out of their way to make a good presentation.

In Louisiana we came back across the state along the North shore of Lake Pontchartrain. The little towns of Madison and Covington are lovely, narrow streets with huge trees and green yards. We were looking for a shopping area to pick up some more of the Café Du Monde coffee but didn’t find one. Went on to Beaux Bridges and stopped at Mulattes for dinner. We just happened by this place, it is the original Cajun restaurant in Louisiana. What a great place, Zydeco band with everyone dancing; young kids, and older folks all out on the floor, red and white checkered table cloths and lots of Tabasco products on the table. The food was good and we loved the atmosphere, the waitress handed us a magic marker and encouraged us to put our names on the wall. It was another highlight of the trip.

We intended to take a swamp tour with a Cajun lady who is a renowned storyteller. We were looking forward to a trip out on the water with her but, her boat had mechanical trouble and she wasn’t able to get it repaired the day we were there. We called her in the morning and she suggested we call later in the day so we went down to Avery Island and took the Tabasco Company tour. The tour was well done with a guide telling about the company along with a video and walk through the viewing area of the factory. The General Store was a treat with a large covered porch and lots of rocking chairs and Zydeco music for toe tapping.

The roads in Louisiana are just about the worst we encountered with the constant bump bump bump of the concrete it was difficult to even drive the speed limit without worrying the whole rig was being beaten to pieces. The signs left something to be desired also. We ended up seeing some pretty back county of the area simply because there were no signs to let you know where the highway turned or which one you were actually on. We laughingly called it another housing tour since we had no idea where we were but saw a lot of pretty houses. We finally ended up back at the place we got off the original road to Avery Island.

In hindsight it would have been nice to stay another day and see if the boat got repaired but we had already seen Avery Island and there was not anywhere else to stay around there. The roads were so awful that driving back to an RV Park and then returning the next day on the possibility of taking the swamp tour didn’t seem worth it. Of course in hindsight, we wish we’d stayed. Hopefully that will be a lesson for future trips, do it while you are there, don’t wait for next time.

Relaxing at Sam Houston Jones, State Park

We went on to Lake Charles and stayed at the Sam Houston Jones State Park. This was an interesting place, swamp on one side and river on the other. We actually backed right up to the swamp to camp. Lots of critters, the evening was so noisy it was difficult to sleep, frogs, geese, birds and night things. We saw a cottonmouth snake and lots of turtles. The geese were just as ornery as geese can be, and would chase me if I got out of the camper. Monty sat outside with his drink and the paper, no problem, but as soon as I made an appearance they chased me until I jumped back into the camper. Apparently they didn’t want female trespassers walking in their park! We met a couple from Covington LA, on their way to visit their daughter in Ophir, CO. (we’ve been to Ophir many times) We enjoy meeting the people almost as much as seeing the sites. Most of the people were friendly and willing to talk a little about the area they come from or their travels, etc.

Fredericksburg, Texas

From here we drove on thru Beaumont, Texas toward Austin. Arrived in Austin in the afternoon and camped in Ruth and Charles’ driveway. This worked out great, we stayed two nights and had a nice visit. Monty reached his son, Michael, and we met him for lunch on the way out of town. We drove through Fredericksburg and enjoyed the rolling hills of Texas. We stopped to take pictures of some interesting goats and their shepherd dogs. The big old dogs came right over to the fence when we stopped to look at their goats, I guess their job is to check out the gawkers as well as protect their charges.

This was really a GREAT trip we absolutely loved the traveling, the beaches were beautiful and scenery was so different that we were just in awe everywhere we went. The rolling hills, green grass, trees and swamp land was just incredible We love the interesting architecture, the sea food and produce alone were worth the trip.