Lake Anna State Park

States we've RVed in so far

Lake Anna State Park has been our designated hidy-hole for hurricane season, ever since we got the RV, two years ago...so we were excited to finally get there and check it out.  After an hour of fly fishing...actually beating the water with very little finesse, I regained some if my casting skills.  Caught a small stick but it was below the legal limit, so I had to let it go.  Since we were away from the "designated camping area" fairly early in the morning, we had some explaining to do to the nice park ranger.
It turned out there was a large parade where we're suppose to pick up art, so we went wine tasting until the parade was over.  Yeah...wine tasting at 11AM (we did a tour, ate lunch, and came back for wine tasting at a more respectable 12:30.). First Colony Winery got a new owner 2 years ago, who decided to differentiate his vineyard with a thatch roof over the building with the fermentation vats.  The roof was built by three Irish tradesmen using Norwegian thatching... It's suppose to last a hundred years.
Finally made to Lake Anna, in site 23(no utilities, although most of camp has E/W).  It was cold and rainy, so we stayed snugly inside, made a stir fry dinner, broke camp and headed for home at 6:30 in the evening.

James River State Park - Glad Stone , VA

Had to be in Lynchburg around noon so we had some extra time.  Took a stroll along Smith Mountain Lake 1.7 miles trail. Drex had his puppy on... Carried a stick the entire trip.  Picked up artwork at Lynchburg and Deb convinced another artist to enter the show next year.  She rocks!  Arrived at James River pretty early on a Friday and got a great spot - Site 22 (E??/W) got to use my 50 amp converter, that I bought at Walmart last year, because the 30 amp breaker broke.  Goin' to have salmon and corn on the Barbie, with some Brussels sprouts.  Tomorrow may be the first fly fishing that I have done in thirty years.  The odometer reads 18440.(Deb wanted to know)

Smith Mountain Lake - Moneta, VA

On the road again, picking up some of the art for the upcoming Art Speaks on the Bay Show.  We went to the Little Gallery to see Gary Osterhaus' cows.  Deb struck up a conversation with a local artist, convincing him to enter the show next year.

Went to visit old friends, both literally and figuratively.  They have a lovely home right on the lake. We had a great meal and talked until the sun set.  So we had our first night RV site set-up (site 50 E/W)

Today we are off to get some artwork

Kings Mountain State Park - SC

Final night out.  Nestled into a little site (38 E/W) that's on a little hill (all the blocks we have, can't fix it).  Kind of a redneck state park.  It rained all night, so there  "was fried chicken on the roof" and neither of us slept well.  We'll be off early for home.

Chewacia State Park - Auburn, AL

On our way home from Northwest Florida.  There were no direct routes to here...all back roads.  We had lunch on a little lake in Florala, AL. went through Tuskegee.  Deb wanted Easter Dinner, so we were going to have traditional Lamb Stew, but alas, we could not find any lamb, so we substituted pork.  Then instead of an Easter Egg hunt, we ate a Chocolate Bar in front of a campfire.  Chewicia has everything, including expert bike trails.  Deb said "see, we should have had bikes!" Really?

Ft Pickens - Pensacola, FL

Yesterday was a "stay here" day.  Walked to Ft Pickens and as the expression goes, "broke bread with the dead."  A huge fort built by slaves with 22 million bricks. It used from 1834 to 1947.  Geronimo was incarcerated there for a short period of time.  The island is flush with ospreys and blue herons.

Gulf Islands National Seashore - Pensacola, FL

Our last stop on the Florida Panhandle.  Brilliant white sand.  They say the reason there are no shells on the beach is because they end up on sandbars far offshore.  We are on a little spit of land, really just a sandbar, but it's been here a long time.  The beach is lovely, but the campground s full.  It's spring break, somewhere.  This is a stay here day, we will be checking out the local sights.

 

Topsail Hill Preserve - Santa Rosa Beach, FL

Another day in paradise.  The sand is absolutely white, there's no seaweed, no shells, nothing but sand and some small aqua blue jelly fish.  Went through Panama City Beach, yesterday...the self acclaimed "spring break" capital of the world.   Last night, we attended a free local concert... Richard de Val and his 12 string guitar...Deb and Drex left early...enough said.  We are not sure of the appeal here. It's extremely clean, well maintained, very close together. It's great for people watching.  Just for the record we are in site 28 (E/W/S/C)

Small aqua blue jellyfish

Free concert at the park

St George's Island State Park - Eastpoint, FL

Had lunch on a "River," that is just an inlet from the Gulf...with really big turtles.  We finally made it to the barrier islands of Florida.  It's interesting to be on the coast which runs east and west, it destroys my sense of direction.  For some reason, only understood by the Florida Dept of Parks, dogs are not allowed on the beach, which is sad.  There was a major watermain break, so there is a boil order at the campground.  Fortunately, we carry enough water to just avoid the whole thing.  We have a delightful site(22 E/unpotable W) tucked into the woods.  The beach is pure white and, for the most part, uninhabited.

Manatee Springs State Park - Chiefland, FL

Natural underground springs feeding the Suwannee River.  We are camped next to a sinkhole that people scuba dive in to explore 5 miles of underwater caves.  A fantastic Boardwalk goes through the cypress swamps to the river.  Deer roam right through the campground, Drex is not that happy to see them quite so close.  We are in a pull thru (Site 93 È/leaky water).  It was our first "shorts" day of the year.  Deb never realized that my knees could actually be that white!