December 2020

During our early December stay on Santa Rosa Island, we were fortunate to reconnect with the Campbells, a couple we met last year. During our first trip to Fort Pickens, Judy and I bumped into each other in the laundry room. We chatted and discovered that we were on similar paths. They’d sold their house, too, and were also traveling full time in a conversion van. (In camping speak – a Class B)

With some people, you just hit it off, and the Campbells are those kind of people. This December, we were at Fort Pickens and they were staying close to their son’s home in nearby Navarre. So, we got together there for a “socially distant” visit.

We compared notes on travel issues and considerations we full time travelers deal with. Our time together just flew! It was good to see that a year later, we were all still loving being on the road. We hope our paths will continue to cross as time goes on.

We spent a few days at Top Sail State Park. It’s not far from Fort Pickens, but it’s got a very different vibe. It’s more of an rv resort with snazzy amenities, such as a tram that will take you to their private beach, a full size laundromat, and lots of trails for hiking and biking. AND, it’s the only campsite we’ve visited that had a café with craft beer on tap. It stays on the list for possible visits in the future.

We went a bit further south, to Homosassa, to visit our friends Bob and Joann. They recently moved from Pennsylvania and, along with their sweet dog Maggie, are settling into their new home. It was so much fun to see them and catch up. We feasted on Bob’s homemade pancakes. Yum! We also went out for some great meals, including a dockside dinner at Cracker’s in Crystal River. A glowing sunset over the water, followed by a lighted holiday boat parade – what a sweet way to top off this trip to Florida.

We went to Mooresville, NC, to spend Christmas with John’s sister Diane and her husband Ric. They enjoy cooking and treated us to wonderful meals and holiday cheer. (I ate more than my share of Diane’s homemade cookies.)

As we all know, this wasn’t the year for big holiday gatherings, but we were able to see a few friends on Lake Norman. Our friends Steve and Boun performed a happy hour demonstration of sabrage, in which the fearless host wields a saber to open a champagne bottle.

They made it look easy, but we know there’s a technique to this. When done successfully, the neck of the bottle breaks near the top and the glass and cork go flying. (It really is pretty dramatic.) Best done outdoors, off a deck, and then you have to go search for the top, so you don’t whack it later on with the lawnmower.

The day after Christmas, we climbed back into the van and headed off to Tupelo, MS. Our plan is to pick up where we left off during the Covid shutdown last April, and continue down the Natchez Trace Parkway.