New "most beautiful campsite ever" candidate

We've relocated to a new site at Sunshine Key RV Resort on Ohio Key which has its own ramada. We've hung the hammock and rearranged the picnic tables and we think we've now achieved our own true nirvana.

Fun in the Florida keys

The weather has been perfect in the Florida keys. Yesterday we took a brief spin over Key West in an antique 1941 Waco open cockpit biplane.

Our very own Manatee

Right in front of our campsite yesterday. Seems they love drinking fresh water and come into marinas to find it. A boat lady in front of us called us over when she attracted this one to her water hose. (BTW, they are not supposed to do that - dangerous for manatee to be in the marinas). This one rolled over and over, loving the water and not minding at all that we were reaching in and petting it. Very leathery; they have similarities to elephants. Look like cows - called Sea Cows.

We are loving this!

Rhythm of the Road

About 5 days ago, everything started falling into place perfectly ...

I think we now have the true Rhythm of the Road.

- Had 7 double-paned windows repaired to remove haze – the better to see beaches through...

- Gregg handy-manned an electrical repair, saving us over a hundred dollars.

- Free boondocking overnight in a huge Bass Pro Shop parking lot in Ft. Meyers

- Bass Pro seafood restaurant had 2-for-1 Margaritas all day

- Costco a short walk away: between the 2 of us we ate samples there 5 times in 2 days

- Stocked up on pre-mixed Margaritas and Malibu Caribbean Rum with Coconut Liqueur.

- Did one that's been on my Bucket List! ...sea shelling on Sanibel Island, right by Captiva Island where Anne Morrow Lindberg wrote Gift From the Sea in 1955. If you've never read it and you are a woman, you MUST read it! It's beautiful. I've read it several times over many years.

- Drove across the Florida Everglades. Interesting to see but we didn't stop.

- Free boondocking at Cracker Barrel in Florida City, south of Miami, our take-off point to drive The Keys, the last boondocking opportunity.

- The Keys – 42 bridges and 126 miles of US Highway 1 that starts at Mile Marker 0 in Key West. Highway 1 then continues all the way up the US to Maine, through 13 states. There are literally Hundreds of islands out here, 800+, just about 30 populated though.

- Went sea shelling at a FL state park on one of the upper keys; saw a living Man of War jellyfish and lots of dead ones on the Atlantic Ocean side beach.

- Found a really nice campground at a price (yikes! - $99/night) that could have been much higher. This is what we have been saving up for with all our boondocking. We'd averaged under $5 per night up to this point.

- We have a marina and our very own flock of pelicans right outside our front window. The RV just 5 spaces down from us had a manatee at their dock our first night here.

- We are within an hour of Key West and spent Easter Day there – gorgeous!
Beautiful flowering trees and plants, breathtaking beaches, fascinating history and architecture, wrap around porches with ceilings painted blue or aqua, chickens and cats that roam freely all around town, (some cats with 6 toes live at the Ernest Hemingway house and museum), a President Truman museum at the house where he vacationed and worked during his administration and current presidents still visit, street entertainers, interesting characters, and lots of shops, bars, restaurants.
I considered doing something radical in Key West like get my hair cut weird or colored a wild color or get a tatoo. I said I considered ... I ended up doing something very Sally-like. Bought a cheap bottle of fluorescent pink nail polish and painted my toes. I'm really happy with my toes!

- I noticed a sign by a webcam in Key West and called my daughter Sarah on Easter Day and she was able to see me wave to her. I showed her a glimpse of Key West by calling over a cute guy with a hat made of fresh palm-fronds - very Key West-y !

- You can see it all here. I noticed the Garden of Eden bar on a rooftop that is clothing-optional. We didn't go .... We've already passed up 2 campgrounds on this trip that are at clothing-optional RV parks. I don't think that fits our lifestyle very well...

- My friend Betsy calls us the King and Queen of the Road. You should see our new capes and crowns – beach towels, sun visors and baseball caps. We are blessed.

Florida pictures --- http://picasaweb.google.com/sschin999/Florida2010##