Walking in Memphis

Today Gary and I found ourselves walking in Memphis on Beale Street, with the Peabody ducks and even down in the jungle room. Yes, except for the ducks which are an 80 year tradition at the Peabody Hotel, it brings to life the famous song about the King and his town, Memphis TN. Graceland, the former home of Elvis Presley is all we had heard about, a tourist magnet with somewhat tacky decorating, but when you walk through the rooms filled with hit songs and a racquet ball court filled from floor to ceiling with gold and platinum records you realize why they called him the king. So many songs that we grew up with keep his memory alive.

Last day in Florida

These are the days I paint in my memory with the hopes they last forever. Yesterday was cool and we slept to the sound of rain on our roof all night. This morning we woke to sunshine, the smell of a wet pine forest and temps reaching the 80's. I made dinner outside to keep the rig cool, chow mien with jasmine rice and almonds. The evening cools down fast as the sun rests for the day. There is a soft breeze that kisses the tops of the long leaf pine in front of our site, the tall slim giants sway almost 10 feet with the breeze, I can't imagine the movement in a storm and wonder how they do not snap midpoint like an asparagus. The needles fall on the smaller trees and shrubs below, hanging from the branches like tinsel in a Christmas tree. The forest floor is a soft bed of these long needles for Blue and I to walk on. We will return to this park.

Falling Waters State Park

Still in the panhandle of Florida, we visited the Falling Waters State Park for a few days to avoid the weather moving through the midwest. It is a nice little park and a quick and easy trip in and out. But we have enjoyed the park for 4 days and Blue has loved our campsite with several walks through the woods. The Park is home to the tallest waterfall in Florida at 73 feet and nice hiking trails that take you over the sinkholes that are common in this area. The sinkholes in this park have been here a long time but if you have watched the news in the last few weeks you would have heard how these can open up almost anywhere in Florida without warning and swallow up trees, roads and even people sleeping in their homes. Visitors can walk along paths through the towering pine forest, enjoy the flowering dogwoods or take a dip in the 2 acre lake created to supply water all year to the waterfalls. I'm always shocked to see the alligator signs next to the beach and wonder who would take there children to swim here. There is a lot of history in the park. At one time the falls powered a gristmill used to grind corn, a legal distillery and even an oil well attempt that failed.

Florida Caverns State Park

As we hit the panhandle of Florida, staying a few nights in the Florida Caverns State Park provides a new adventure. While the caverns are small compared to others we have seen, they are alive and well. These limestone caverns are a great example of the former water level in Florida which at one time covered the state. Along with the usual stalactites, flowstone and soda straws, the cave holds several examples of the watery origin with fossilized shells and a shark tooth. Even a small bat had his nap interrupted by the tour. The park has an area called the blue Hole, a sink that empties into the Chipola River providing a place for people to swim (if they dare) but with the recent flooding the waters are high and fast, plus we have seen several gators along the banks. The park was developed during the Great Depression and built by the CCC. Laborers were paid a $1 per day as a part of the US attempt to put people back to work, giving them food and shelter while making the parks and public lands better for everyone. What a concept. The workers excavated tons of rock and soil to further open the cave's interior. Electricity was included during the process for lighting. To boost the low level light the workers used dinner plates to enhance the gas lights during installation of electric lights. Reflection from the plates boosted the low light conditions and are still in place today. They also build the stone visitors center and other facilities in the park.

Wilderness RV Resort a week of relaxation

Just east of Ocala sits our place to stay for this last week. Wilderness RV Resort sits along the Ocklawaha River and the cross Florida Greenway, a combination of waterways, greenways and canals that were intended to link both coasts without the lengthy navigation around the bottom. Today if you are adventurous, you can hike and canoe it. Sometimes you just need a week to kick back, soak up some sun and do nothing. That is what we did this week and it was wonderful.

Mount Dora

While we have visited Mount Dora before, it is worth stopping again. The small touristy town is just as you would see in northern MN with a few more palms and the warm weather reptiles. As we walked to the town dock we noticed a small float plane tied to the dock. We talked with the pilot who summers in Hackensack MN where he owns a private airport. If anyone's interested it has lots included.

Lake Louisa State Park

After a relaxing weekend with the family, we have moved a short distance north. It is becoming more difficult each year to get into the Florida State parks without an advanced reservation but from time-to-time, spaces open up and I grab them. We got lucky at Lake Louisa State Park this week with a site that sits next to one of the three lakes in the park, Dixie Lake. The park has good walking trails and several citrus groves to explore. Unfortunately the grove have citrus canker so the park asks campers to not pick the fruit. Citrus canker is a wide spread problem in Florida. It is not harmful to people, just the trees themselves causing the fruit to drop off of the tree prior to ripening.

We are in the process of starting our slow move north. With extensive storms in the mid central region, we are in no hurry. It gives us the opportunity to explore the central areas in Florida, otherwise passed up for the coastal areas. Scattered with lakes and lone needle pines it has a northern MN feel but we are not fooled, the waters have gators and snakes.