Friday, March 29, 2013

1. Preparations

Bought a used Camper/Recreational Vehicle (RV) in Jan 2013.  Then spent the next two months in Melbourne, Florida with family and friends.  Hope to leave during the first week of March, 2013.





For times when I don't want to drive the RV, I bought this old, very used, 1987 Honda 250 cc scooter :


Final transportation purchase was this really, really old 1973 3-speed bicycle:


Used my cousins storage shed for everything not going on the trip, loaded the RV with everything else, then attached the scooter and bicycle to the back like this:


On the morning of Thursday, March 7th, said my goodbyes to friends and relatives, went to the cemetery to see my parents, then headed West.....


Tuesday, March 19, 2013

2. Florida and Alabama

Spent the first two nights of the trip at "the Happiest Place on Earth", the Fort Wilderness Campground at Disney World in Orlando.  Rode the bicycle a lot, and took the Disney boats, monorail and buses. Did not go to any of the Theme Parks but had a good time visiting the many themed resort hotels. Some pics:




After Disney, I spent the next week making my way up the Florida Panhandle, overnighting at some really nice Florida State Parks:

Suwannee River S.P.
Wakulla Springs S.P. - did not stay, just visited
Ochlokonee River S.P.
St. George Island S.P.

Grayton Beach S.P. and Big Lagoon S.P. in Pensacola where I spent two nights and visited the U.S. Navy Aviation Museum.

Then it was time to say adios to Florida and hello to Alabama. First two nights were spent on the Southern tip of Mobile Bay on Dauphin Island, a bird sanctuary.  Not too many birds to see but a nice old 19th century fort , oil rigs in Mobile Bay and some good bicycle paths.

Next stop was Belingrath Gardens and Home, Southwest of Mobile, where the Azaleas were in bloom.
Spent the night in Blakeley, just outside of Mobile, and walked around its Civil War Battlefield and river.
Final morning in Alabama was in Mobile touring the U.S.S. Alabama Battleship.
Then said goodbye to Alabama, and drove 1.5 hours to Biloxi, Mississippi, home to 10 casinos.