We’re a little confused. Maybe confounded is a better term. The problem is simple, but also very complex. It goes something like this; “We do not know exactly what time it is?”. Yup, I said it. Time is confusing us. Now, before you start thinking this retirement stint has initiated some deterioration in our cognitive function, let me ask if anybody has ever lived on the time zone line? Literally, that exact spot where the time zone changes from one time zone to another? We would like to meet that Facebook group of people who live so close to the time zone that crossing the road means an hour difference in time. This is our current situation. We have no experience in this kind of environment, so we have been forced into some draconian coping measures. The clocks in the RV have all been changed to central time, with labels indicating “CST”. My personal watch has been left on east coast time, and the cell phones alternate between times, depending on where GPS determines our location. We’re like bouncing between two worlds.
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| I'm so confused. |
Such are the burdens of our current situation, (to be honest not much of a burden, although it makes a nice transition), since our previous two stops had us firmly planted in the eastern time zone. We left St. Augustine, FL on a Monday and headed due south, following the I-95 corridor for 190 miles to Fort Pierce. Only about an hour’s drive north from the Palm Beach area. There was not as much sightseeing or walking in Fort Pierce as there was visiting friends and family.
First and foremost, we were far enough south in Florida to be within driving distance of Judy’s parents, Helen and Jason, in Boca Raton. Now in their early 90’s, we have been flying down regularly to visit them. Finally, we were close enough to facilitate a visit to the RV. The plan was to pick them up and return with them to the RV to have lunch. We all had a lovely sit-down lunch in the camper. (Mother nature was not kind to us on this day, as it rained. Lunch had to be served indoors.) For years we have been telling Helen and Jay of our intended RV lifestyle plans. A lifestyle I’m not sure they actually understood. They do now. It was a busy day for the elderly couple, but a memorable one, I’m sure.
We also had the occasion to visit with some dear friends, formerly from our hometown, Jane & Ned. The story goes like this. Jane and Ned lived in our neighborhood, 2 doors down, for the better part of 20 years. We watched each other’s kids grow up. A couple of years ago they decided to sell in Massachusetts and take up residence in Florida. We watched them move out about 18 months ago. Before leaving for this trip, Judy was smart enough to get an address and phone number, and after google mapping the locations, we discovered that our stop in Ft. Pierce would be close enough for a visit, if one could be arranged. And visit we did! They have a stunning home; Ned is a construction craftsman and Jane has an amazing home decor style. Walking through their Florida home was like visiting a House Beautiful magazine. Just so refined and tasteful. We got a chance to walk through their neighborhood, which is nestled on the intercoastal between the Indian River and the Atlantic Ocean. Time passes quickly when the conversation flows so freely, and as the afternoon waned, we said our goodbyes, and headed back to our campsite.
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| Jane, Ned, Judy, Steven |
Fort Pierce “was so 2023”, and once the calendar changed to 2024, we were headed west across the state of Florida to the west coast. To the small town of Cedar Key. Cedar Key juts out into the Gulf of Mexico, some 60 miles south-west of Gainesville, FL, and requires a 21-mile drive along State Route 24 from the only crossing route. There is only one way in and one way out of Cedar Key.
And from this vantage point we were fortunate enough to witness some of the most beautiful sunsets over the water and the gulf shores. The key is surrounded by small islands of Mangrove trees. The mangrove flourishes, even with their roots always engulfed in saltwater, and the small islands litter the area appearing as green tops during low tide when the clam-laden sandy sholes are visible. We had booked a campsite that was 1 ¼ miles to the center of town and easily walkable, and it has one of the most authentic Tiki bars Judy and I have ever visited. And visit we did! We had a wonderful experience at a 21 and over RV campsite nestled along the Gulf of Mexico. Low Key Hideaway is very small, with only 10 full-service campsites that back right up to the shoreline. The Tiki bar, which is on the premises, is renowned for its stunning sunsets, and distinctive afternoon cocktails. There was live music on weekend nights, but the afternoon sunsets were truly something very special.
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| Sunsets on Cedar Key, FL |
Needless to say, we did a lot of walking. We walked into and out of town a number of times, whether to do some sightseeing or to eat dinner at one of the boardwalk restaurants. And as we walked into town for the first time, we were amazed at the amount of damage caused by hurricane Idalia. Idalia was a category 3 hurricane that made landfall at nearby Keaton Beach on September 2, 2023, and Cedar Key saw a record storm surge of almost 7 feet. This is still a community rebuilding after a terrible storm, and I’m kind of happy that I brought economic tourist dollars back into this area. Many of the stores and restaurants were closed and/or rebuilding. But we did find “Tony’s Chowder House”, a restaurant whose specialty is New England style clam chowder made from scratch, with locally harvested clams, that was just spectacular. So good that we bought a couple cans to make for ourselves.
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| Suwannee River train trestle bridge |
Lastly, and this was truly a highlight of our visit to the area, was a trip to Three Sisters Springs in Crystal River, FL. The springs are part of natural inlet in Crystal River which contains three natural springs. This is where manatees migrate in the winter to stay warm in the natural springs’ 74-degree temperature. Manatees spend the summers roaming the warm ocean waters and, in the winter, take refuge amongst the warm natural springs. And there were hundreds of them in the clear turquoise waters along the canals and natural spring ponds, maybe thousands. As water mammals, the manatees must come to the surface to breathe, and are therefore in constant motion slowly rising to the surface where you easily hear them breath before submerging again to huddle around the warm water springs. They are well protected in this enclave, and the manatees’ only real threat is man. We develop the coastal areas where they feed on sea grass, we cut them up with our boat propellers, or we ensnare them in our fishing lines and nets. But in Three Sisters Springs, they are well protected, at least for the winter, and so much fun to watch.
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| Selfie with Manatees |
Before we knew it, our week was complete. Unfortunately, the forecast for our Tuesday travel day was not good. We would be leaving Cedar Key in the morning, before the predicted rough weather and high winds moved into the area. But that also meant we would be pulling along our 16,000-pound camper, shaped like a box, into and through the storm. On the other hand, once through the weather and upon arrival in Port St. Joe along the Florida panhandle, the storm would have gone past, thus allowing us to park, level out, connect to the utilities, and open up the camper in better weather conditions. I’ll tell you now, we made it without much issue, but you’ll have to wait to read next week’s post as we tell…the Rest of the Story.
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