John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park ( https://pennekamppark.com/ ) sits about a mile or so from Key Largo Kampground. It was the first undersea park in the U.S. For those interested, scuba and snorkeling tours of the coral reef are available…as are kayak and canoe rentals.
Although the glass bottom boat trips were full, Kevin and I still had a wonderful time exploring the beaches (2 in the park) and hiking the trails (in particular, the Tamarind Trail). We watched a HUGE iguana sunning in the mangroves for probably 15 minutes, and saw a strange tiny fish or two while wading in shallow water. The mangrove roots are mesmerizing…. All in all, a lovely way to spend the last day of 2019!
We drove to Key West on December 30th. The 100 miles took about four hours to traverse because of heavy traffic on the first half of our day’s journey on the Overseas Highway. The drive was beautiful! A couple sections of old, unused highway and railway parallel Highway 1 along the way. One bridge is nearly seven miles long!
The waters of the ocean and gulf were beautiful blue, as was the sky. The occasional Pelican and other seabirds dotted the sky and the power lines and other roosting spots. Likewise, the occasional boat bobbed in the blue waters – either fishing, or just floating peacefully. We even saw a couple of lizards just casually hanging out alongside the road that had to be at least a foot or two long.
When we arrived on Key West, we drove straight to Fort Zachary Taylor Historic State Park ( https://www.floridastateparks.org/parks-and-trails/fort-zachary-taylor-historic-state-park) on the west coast. Key West is the most populated Key, and the real estate is tight. We were elated to be driving our tiny car, as a mid-sized car or SUV would have trouble navigating the narrow streets of the historic district.
The State Park is beautiful and includes a beach, and hiking. We enjoyed walking the rather small beaches (though the beaches are probably quite large for the Keys) and we ate at the concessions on the beach – they were unfortunately out of numerous items by the time we got there, including Key Lime Pie… 🙁
There are both guided and self-guided tours of Fort Zachary Taylor, a decommissioned US Army Fort on Key West that guarded the bay. We chose the self-guided option. The fort was active from before the Civil War through the Cuban Missile Crisis. It also has the largest collection of Civil War weaponry because the US Army Corps of Engineers ordered the iron guns be buried in the concrete during construction updates to decommission the guns. When the park was established, an excavation company extracted some of the guns. Some of the guns are still visible peeking out from the concrete.
Ahhh…..Key Largo. Kevin and I rolled in to the Key Largo Kampground yesterday around 4:30pm. It was a little tricky getting our RV backed into our spot, but it is a really nice location with plenty of space for our camp chairs and the picnic table. We spent our first full day here exploring the campground, taking a quick dip in the pool, and catching up on the boring stuff (laundry, cleaning, grocery shopping, etc).
Home sweet home until January 2, 2020 ( Key Largo Kampground).
I had heard about wild roosters running around Key West, likely the descendents of Cuban roosters used for food and cockfighting. (https://www.athomekeywest.com/blog/local-legends-key-west-gypsy-chickens ). But….I did not realize that their habitat has apparently expanded to include Key Largo as well. They just wander up the streets and through parking logs. Of course, I could not resist taking a few pics!
We first visited Edisto Beach, South Carolina in 2017. Donna found a cost effective State Park that was on our way to family in Florida. We stayed for a couple nights before we had to move on to meet our family, but we fell in love with the place in that short time. We decided to come back this year as the start point for our retirement trip.
Edisto Beach State Park Campground is located on the Atlantic coast about an hour south of Charleston, SC. The campground is split with one section right on the ocean and the other a little further inland. We stayed at the beach (of course!). The sites are ample, the beach is in sight, and the common bathrooms and showers are clean and tidy. There are several gift shops and restaurants just a short walk from the campground. There are also a gas station/convenience store and a grocery store that is right across the street from the park entry. The staff is very friendly and keep the campground in great shape.
Morgan found a conch shell, with an occupant
Morgan flying his kite on the beach
In the morning as the tide receded, a berm formed
Edisto beach is covered with shells. Oyster shells make up the majority of the shells, as the area is well known for oysters. This year we found a number of conch shells and other assorted sea flora and fauna. We spent a lot of time on the beach!
Oyster beds in the salt marshes
This bird was fishing and decide to move away from us…
The Crew at Tower Tire helped us out with a new set of sneakers for the rig…
After Christmas at Edisto, Donna and I dropped Calvin off at Charleston International and headed south. We made it back to around Edisto, and the RV developed a burning rubber smell. Having blown out a tire on the way down to Edisto, we wanted to avoid repeating that experience. We happened to pass Tower Tire, in Ravenel, South Carolina. We hobbled back to their shop, and they jumped right on our rig and had us back on the road in a couple hours with six new tires, ready for the rest of the trip!
We started our day in West Jefferson, NC to pick up our motorhome and strike out for warm, sunny destinations…..ahhh, the beach is calling!
West Jefferson is located in Ashe County, North Carolina…and it is in the heart of Christmas Tree country. Typically most of my November and much of December is spent in West Jefferson working in the operations office for a large-scale wholesale Christmas Tree company. I have spent the past 17 years working in various capacities (customer service, account management, pretty much whatever needs to be done). Ever wonder what a Christmas Tree shipping facility looks like by December 22? Today’s your lucky day!!
Ever wonder what looks MUCH nicer than an empty Christmas tree shipping facility on December 22?
Donna and I came to Fort Knox to transition into retirement. After 27 years of Army Service (in the US Army and the Ohio and Michigan Army National Guards), I retired. I look forward to spending more time with my family and friends, and seeing more of the world. We’re beginning by seeing more of the warmer states during this winter.
Fort Knox is a long-standing Army Base in north-western Kentucky, just southwest of Louisville. Historically it is known for hosting the United States Gold Reserve, and being the home of the Armor Branch. The Patton Museum, named for the WWII General George Patton displays many exhibits about the General’s development as an Army Leader beginning with his career at West Point to his death, caused by a car accident. He was a prominent figure in Armor development in the US Army, justifying his museum location being at the historic home of Armor.
Fort Knox is currently home to the United States Army Cadet Command which oversees the recruitment, training and commissioning of cadets in Senior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps across 276 colleges nation-wide. It also oversees the Army Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps at numerous High Schools through our nation. I was fortunate enough to serve with the Cadet Command as my final active duty assignment was as an Assistant Professor of Military Science at Michigan State University. It was a great assignment.
