Headed next to St Petersburg FL. As many times as we tried, we could not find a site in the Fort De Soto campgrounds. We ended up booking a few days at the KOA, which was a relatively close drive to our friends Helen & Paul. They rent a condo there every year, and it was a much warmer locale to have a visit.
A long drive from Savannah, and the traffic was actually light. That is until we hit Tampa at 4:00 on a Friday after work. Crazy slow through Tampa and then over the big bridges to St Pete, but with so much traffic, the pace was actually just right. Pulled into the KOA and got tucked in with all the other sardines.
This KOA is super busy...and very tired looking. Nothing like an over abundance of crumbling asphalt to make a place look grubby. Points though for the bath houses, as they were newly renovated and quite nice.
Even though we did not get into the campground, we made it to the beach at Fort De Soto the next morning. Apparently it had a lot of damage during the last hurricane that blew through, and the numerous pools of water on the upper parts of the beach that we so loved the last time we were here, are now gone. The beach though is still fabulous...always a treat to walk in the water along the edge, taste the salt, and explore for shells and beach glass.
Great afternoon visit and dinner with Helen & Paul, fun to get caught up on any news happening. We did the same the next afternoon, then headed back to camp to tidy up the last bits before pulling out in the morning.
On our way up to Miramar Beach to visit my brother and his wife, we stopped at St. Andrews SP for a one night layover. They too incurred some hurricane damage, but the repairs and renovations are in full swing. All the sites are in three loops fronting the water, with the primo spots right on the water. One thing that popped out at us right away is there were no shabby beige box trailers to be seen anywhere. Airstreams, big Class Bs, and even bigger motor homes. All high end rigs. I think we fit in just fine. Chatted with a couple who had a 2114, they too were on a tour of warmer climes. Beautiful park, highly recommended.
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| Great sites... |
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| Night version... |
Off to Miramar Beach the next day, we are booked into a private RV park that just happened to be only a couple of blocks from Bill & Ann. Geronimo RV Park came recommended by Chris & Jen, and it did not disappoint. Just the right size, great location, and impeccably maintained.
Once we got settled in Bill & Ann picked us up and we went to their condo for a visit and dinner. They are right on the beach, in a really interesting looking building. Great views of the beach and ocean from the 15th floor...perhaps a tad high for my height aversion, but a couple of beers took the edge off.
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| Dale the Brave took this one... |
Bill & Ann came over the next afternoon for dinner, a one skillet meal of pesto pasta with chicken and tomatoes. Very yummy, especially with a dessert of salted caramel ice cream.
We walked the beach the next morning with Bill, then headed out for a nice dinner at The Surf Hut. We had a primo seat overlooking the beach, a lovely saltwater breeze keeping us cool. A little running around the next day, then dinner at a great burger joint called Fat Boys.
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| great beach...the sand was like talcum... |
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| Of course this photo had to be taken... |
So much fun catching up with them... hanging out, laughing and scratching the whole time. What a highlight of the trip.
Great to see the photos of Bill and Ann. Munro
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