The summer is off-season in Florida. Snow birds have gone home to cooler climes so the manager's office is closed on weekend. Fortunately, they took my call and was waiting to escort us into our site. Such a nice couple who happen to own property at Deep Creek Lake in the mountains of western Maryland so we had lots to talk about. God blessing us with another new couple in our contact list.
After a much needed rest, next morning we head to our final night's destination... back to Collier Seminole State Park in Naples. I guide Irv back into our assigned site only to find out it's 30 amp and... the wrong site. Bad Wanda!!! Wanda checks the correct site and it's 30 amp also then calls the ranger (he must be new) and realized he isn't quite sure where there is a 50 amp site so... Wanda tells him she will find a 50 amp and report site number to him which is no problem as the park is deserted. We pick the same spot we had on our first night on the road north. Finally we are all hooked up and inside to escape the mosquitoes which were so bad they even attacked me when they normally wouldn't since I'm not sweet. As we are relaxing and waiting for the rain some time later, the ranger knocks on the door to inform us, he wasn't paying attention when I gave him the site number and it's been reserved for the night so we have to move... again. Not good!!!
We were definitely ready to pull out of there next morning and head down US 41/The Tamiami Trail. Remember we got gas back in Americus... and there are no stations between Collier Seminole and the Miccosukee Casino and Resort 85 miles east across the Everglades. Since I don't sweat bullets, choosing rather to pray we made the station just fine and only paid $2.85 for diesel. Met a group of students from Missouri who were thinking of touring the keys. They didn't go to Destin, FL as planned due to the oil spill on the beaches (actually, Destin was fine).
Now straight south. Irv and I are always amazed at the number of nurseries on this road... and happy they survived the below freezing temperatures last winter. It's a tight squeeze through the narrow, brick streets of Homestead to... Cracker Barrel for lunch. We get two bags of soft stick peppermint candy to last until our next trip "off the rock" up to Homestead from the keys. As we drive south, reach the "18 miles stretch", cross over the bridge into Key Largo, we get more excited... good to be getting close to Marathon. Finally, we turn onto Sombrero Boulevard and into our parking spot next Sharon, Arno and Lucas' house. Hook up, put the slides out and... look at the water. Irv and I said on more than one occasion... we were able to see so many loved ones, so many sights and travel 3,000+/- miles... can it possibly be only a 45 day trip? See you next year, if not before!!!
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