Trip to Florida 2021

Our first setup in Virginia 

Lake Santee in South Carolina 

My cousin, Charlene

Lake Santee was a KOA

Flamingo Lake

Flamingo Lake

Spanish moss on many of the trees

The entrance to our North Caroline stop

Ripley with a seed flake on his head

 We started two days late because of the snowy weather. I had only made two reservations so it wasn’t a big deal to shift everything. We left around noon on Saturday. The plan was to drive about 3 hours a day till we reached our destination, Bay Bayou RV Resort in Tampa. We had hoped to go to Music on the Bay, a music festival, but it was cancelled due to ... you guessed it COVID. We kept the reservations and we are planning some day trips in the area. 

 Our first stop was at Americamps near Richmond. The camp ground was nice. Camping there in the summer would make a great vacation. In the winter, well camping any where is just not the same. It is too cold outside, gets dark sooner but your away from home and able to relax. 

 Our second stop was near Fayetteville. It had a bit of flooding in the campgrounds but our spot was dry. The temp was going up and there were flowers in bloom.  When we got to our third spot, the temperature was getting pretty close to camping weather. We were on a lake, we did get some sun and blue skies and we got some rain. A pretty place!! While stopped there, I got an unexpected call from my cousin living in Jacksonville. It had been about 40 years since we saw each other.  So serendipity that she should call the day before we get to Jacksonville.  After arriving at Flamingo Lake RV Resort, we went to meet Charlene. It was wonderful to see her. I think I would have recognized her in a lineup, I definitely would recognize her voice. 

ACADIA DAY 3

On our last full day in Acadia, we stayed closer to our campsite. We visited the towns south of us and went to see Bass Harbor Head Lighthouse. Once again the weather was gorgeous. We found a great trail that went along the coast, found a rocky beach, some great scenery and a great roadside eating place (they had lobster). We had hoped to get to Echo Lake beach earlier in the day but didn't get there till about 4. Ripley had a great time in the lake playing Frisbee. We highly recommend this area.

The lighthouse

pretty cool looking

really cool looking

Bass Harbor Head Lighthouse

Ripley was glad to be along

You would think there would be more sailboats out on such a perfect day

Ship Harbor but we didn't see any there

Rocky beach

Part of Ship Harbor

the narrow way in to Ship Harbor

the cliffs

Maine's coastline

It is beautiful

the waves splashing

the rocky coast

Seawall should be Gull Way

This was the most birds we saw

The local lobster shack

Southwest Harbor

Guy boiled our dinner. I had the hotdog

ACADIA NATIONAL PARK DAY 

The first day at Acadia was sunrise at Cadillac Mountain and the park loop and a little bit of hiking. The second day , we went to Jordan Pond. We hiked around the pond and then had  lunch on the lawn and the traditional popovers and strawberry preserves They were delicious. We didn't think Ripley would be allowed on the lawn so we didn't take him. Turns out, dogs were allowed.

We did take Ripley on a small hike before going to Jordan Pond

there was a babbling brook

On the drive from the campsite to Acadia

The lawn and Jordan Pond House

Jordan Pond from the lawn

Walking around Jordan Pond

Jordan Pond

Jordan Pond

There were a lot of butterflies on the flowers

Part of the flower garden at Jordan Pond House

Our table on the lawn, although we had reservations, the computers were down

My blueberry soda and a popover

One of about 17 bridges on the carriage roads in Acadia thanks to 

John D Rockefeller around 1920-1940

Garden we saw after Asticou Terraces and Thuya Garden, not sure if it is part of them

A curve in the road

Echo Lake Beach, we stop by to see it and returned with Rip on Day 3

 

Maine

Old Orchard Beach was our first stop in Maine. From there we continued up the coast to Bar Harbor and Acadia. We loved Maine.  The weather was perfect for us warm not humid with a breeze. The air smelled of a hint of pine, like Christmas. I almost hyperventilated breathing in the smell. We went to Bar Harbor our first evening. Bar Harbor was busy but still enjoyable. Also, they do have lobstah. It seemed like every where. I told Guy he could have lobster every night we were in Maine ... and he did.                                                                

                                                                         Bar Harbor

On our way to our next campsite

I didn't know this

Bar Harbor from the sand bar 

The sandbar looking across from Bar Harbor

Main Street

Guy's Dinner

Sunset

Originally the sail boat had its sails down then Voila...

    The next morning we went to Acadia National Park

Acadia National Park, Cadillac Mountain Sunrise

 

The silhouettes against the morning sky

It is one of the first places in the USA to see the sun

                          

The cruise ships come in to see the morning

Every moment, the scene changes

each one a little different from the last

So hard to tell which is the best

so you have to keep taking pictures

the sun makes everything "golden"

the obligatory sign pose

a little bit of rock

Sand Beach, a littler coarser than I am use to

waves splashing into the cliffs

waves crashing into the sand beach

this area is Thunder Hole

at high tide the waves crash making a noise like ... Thunder

from a different perspective

Rip posing for me -such a ham

it is a rough coastline