Typical Day on the Road

January 2006

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Jan. 1

Opened the new year at the Tallahassee RV Park, where we spent the entire day - no need to go anywhere, since nothing is open. Zephyr is watching TV in the clubhouse, and has discovered the old Twilight Zone episodes, which he greatly appreciates.

Jan. 2

Pulled out of the campground and headed east toward Fort Walton Beach. As we drove through Tallahassee, we encountered the darkest sky we've ever seen in the daytime; it was the middle of the afternoon, and yet it looked more like 7:00 p.m. It was as if the sun had been swallowed by a giant whale. The rain was not particularly heavy at first, but when the deluge finally started, we decided we'd better pull over and not drive until it had passed - which fortunately it did in just a few minutes.

Jan. 3

Arrived in Fort Walton Beach and vicinity, and had to go to the school district office to get fingerprinted. The state of Florida has a new law whereby anyone who does business with a school must submit to such an investigation before entering school property. This sounds like a positive procedure for the purpose of preventing individuals with a criminal background from having access to children; but the manner in which the program is implemented is not exactly as efficient as it could be. Our biggest objection is that we have to pay the hefty fee. ($100 each for 5 years) We then have to raise our rates to make back the money. And what's really frustrating is that the various districts don't necessarily share databases, so it's conceivable that we might have to be fingerprinted separately for every performance we do in the state!

Jan. 4

Returned to Edwins Elementary in Fort Walton Beach to perform two assemblies, and present writing workshops to the fourth-graders. (We did the same here last year.)

Jan. 5

Finished up in Ft. Walton Beach with a full day of workshops, then headed toward Orlando. Spent the night near Gainesville.

Jan. 6

On to Orlando, or actually Kissimmee, where we picked up the Disney ticket we had ordered online. Yes, we said ticket in the singular. This year Mom and Dad decided that having done the Disney thing for three years straight (including a 7-day marathon last year) they'd rather save the money and use the time doing something else. But Zephyr, of course, feels that it's mandatory to visit Minnie and Mickey every time we're on one of the coasts, so he bought his own 7-day ticket this time.

Jan. 7

The first of Zephyr's Disney days - this time he went to Animal Kingdom - while Mom and Dad got some work done.

Jan. 8

Zephyr's second Disney day, and this time he went to Epcot. Meanwhile, Mom and Dad checked into Fort Wilderness, a huge campground also operated by Disney. They got out the bicycles and took a ride through the campground and into Downtown Disney, where they were told that bicycles couldn't be brought into Downtown Disney and there was absolutely nowhere to leave them outside. They nonetheless found a place to leave them right outside, and continued their stroll through the place, pausing to admire some 365 dollar sunglasses and wonder how much better they would make the sun appear. (We settled on a 14 dollar pair, which provided a view that was entirely adequate.) Finally back to the campground, where Zephyr joined us via the ample shuttle buses traveling between the campground and the theme parks.

Scene from Walt Disney Worlds' MGM new show "Lights! Motors! Action!"

Jan. 9

Zephyr put in day three of Disney, this time at MGM. Mom and Dad left the campground, and headed toward the library, but ran into a horrendous traffic jam - in fact, traffic was at a dead standstill for half an hour or so. Some of the other drivers had gotten out of their vehicles and were talking - they said that the snarl was because of a robbery, and the police had traffic blocked because they still were looking for the culprits. The drivers began turning their vehicles around and going the other way - which was impractical for us because it was a construction zone and there were concrete barriers on either side. But soon traffic started moving at a crawl, and before long we were in a spot where there were no barriers and we could cross the median to take another route.

Because we were guests at Fort Wilderness, Zephyr was able to take advantage of extended hours - the park closed tonight to the general public at 7:00 p.m., but he was able to linger until 10:00, after considerable arm-twisting, no doubt. He had a good time visiting his friend Isaac, an MGM animator whom we've seen each time we've gone to MGM. And of course he overdosed on Tower Of Terror and Rock'N'Rollercoaster.

Jan. 10

Had a rather lengthy drive toward our next gig, in a southerly direction. This morning we discovered a nail in one of our tires, and even though it isn't going flat we thought we'd better take care of it while we had the chance. Pulled into a Firestone in Winter Haven, because we bought the tires in Wisconsin at a Tires Plus, and purchased a road hazard plan, which is supposed to cover this type of situation, and the Tires Plus told us that it would be honored at Firestone as well. But Firestone said no dice, so we took it to the nearest Tires Plus, where they did not have our tires in stock to replace it - the nail is in such a location that the tire can't just be patched. So, after spending some time doing computer work at the Winter Haven Library, we drove on to Fort Myers, taking our pet nail with us.

Jan. 11

Performed "Alias Don Quixote" at a school in Alva.

Jan. 12

Three performances at a school in Palmetto, including a Quixote in the evening for the whole family. Dennis concerned because he's had a bug, and his voice is getting ragged; but it held up okay. We had the afternoon free, so we spent it at a quaint little smoothie cafe on the waterfront with wireless access. Jimmy Buffet songs were playing, which seemed entirely appropriate for the setting.

Jan. 13

Friday, but it wasn't unlucky at all. Except that we once again were unable to replace the tire, so our pet nail is still hitching a ride with us. (Think we'll call him Nathaniel.) Spent the day in Lakeland, FL.

Jan. 14

Back to Orlando, and Zephyr put in another grueling day at Disney--this time at Magic Kingdom, which was open until 10:00. And of course he stayed until the bitter end, even though it was the chilliest day and night we've seen in Florida yet.

Jan. 15

Zephyr returned to Epcot, and sent us a virtual postcard with his head attached to an astronaut's body. The parents spent the day at Panera and Barnes & Noble. We went to pick him up shortly after 9:00, and he had some good news and some bad news. He had taken the phone with him to call his friends from Disney, and one of the friends he called was our favorite grad student in English, Kim in Buffalo, whom we last saw during the summer on Cape Cod and again at our show in Schenectady, NY. Well, tomorrow is her birthday, and she decided on the spur of the moment (with a little prodding form our persuasive offspring) to fly down to Orlando for a day and celebrate the occasion by joining her "little brother" at Disney. That was the good news. The bad news was that just before we arrived, he used the phone again while waiting outside the gate, and then suddenly realized that he didn't have it anymore. We retraced his steps from the bench to the bathroom several times, and even got permission to go into the park to inquire at lost and found. But it never turned up.

We were in a panic for several reasons. First, the person who found the phone could have made a number of lengthy international calls on it, for which we could be liable until we could contact the company. Second, that phone is our lifeline, and we rely on it very heavily to conduct business--payphones are virtually nonexistent these days. And third, Zephyr had not thought to iron out the details with Kim. Were we supposed to pick her up at the airport? Or would she be able to get transportation to Fort Wilderness Campground, where we'd be staying? What time was her flight? What airline? Finally locating a payphone in a hotel lobby, we managed to leave a message for her via a mutual friend in California and get one back. (Did you know that if you use a calling card on a pay phone they automatically deduct 15 minutes? 3 short phone calls and our 50 minutes was gone. Oh yeah, and have you tried finding a pay phone lately?? To think that this is how we used to conduct business on the road all the time! ) Anyway, we learned that she intended to get a bus from the airport to a convenient pickup point. So finally, we were able to begin trying to get some sleep about midnight.

You want irony? In the hotel lobby, Kimberly went into the restroom and found...a cell phone that someone else had lost! (She turned it in at the desk, of course.)

Act!vated Photo!

Hover your mouse over the picture below.

Jan. 16

Dropped Zephyr off at Disney MGM, then returned to Fort Wilderness and attempted to contact Disney Lost and Found on a phone in the lobby. But we were placed on hold for such a long time (we heard the theme songs to just about all the Disney rides, which is a much better holding experience than elevator music). We gave up and decided to head over to our rendezvous point with Kim - on the way we passed Magic Kingdom, at which is located the central Lost and Found. We went into the office and told the man that we'd lost a red cell phone. He went into the back and--presto! brought it right out!!! It was easy to pick out, he said, because "It's the only red one we had." This implied that probably numerous other people had lost phones, and we hope they manage to get theirs back as well.

With our communications restored, we were able to call Kim, and she told us that she had been offered a ride to the campground by a very pleasant couple she met on the plane. So we just waited until she arrived (In the meantime we bought her park ticket as a birthday gift, which we figured was the least we could do. It was much less than a new phone, which we'd been all set to purchase.) and she met up with Zephyr shortly after noon, and they came back to the campground about 9:00.

Safely putting the fire out on the stunt man.

In the meantime, the parents did a ton of laundry at the overpriced laundry facility next to our campsite. And we took a break in midafternoon to take a boat ride from Fort Wilderness to Magic Kingdom and back again--just for the sake of the boat ride. On the ride we crossed over a water bridge. This is a man-made bridge made of water, which passes over the road. Quite unique.

Jan. 17

Kim arranged a shuttle to take her back to the airport at noon, so we all hung out at the campsite until it was time for her to go. Then she and Zephyr boarded the bus (yes, the campground has its own bus system and most people rent golf carts to get around). Z went back to MGM and got to stay late because of Extra Magic Hours. (If you stay at one of the Disney properties there are perks.) Dennis and Kimberly headed off to Panera and Barnes and Noble to get some work done.

If anyone wants to run away and join us on the road we'll make room in our tent - just ask Kim! Getting you in the van could be a problem though.

Jan. 18

Zephyr had a dentist appointment in Altamonte Springs - yeah! No cavities. Then the Goza unit got some computer work done and ran off to the Y.

Trying to schedule dentist appointments while touring fulltime is a bit of a challenge. First we have to figure out where we are going to be for more than one week. Then we get to check and see if there is a dentist there that is part of our plan. Then we call and see if they happen to have time available when we are in the area. We ask for two appointments per person knowing they do the check-up and then cleaning or any work that needs to be done during the second session. This time around we could only get in one of us.

Jan. 19

Drove up to Ocala to do an evening performance at a school. We were a big hit, and they're thinking of having us back soon. Zephyr is just about sold out of on-hand copies of his two books (actually, one of them is sold out).

As we were heading out of Panera we noticed 3 business men with their cell phones pointing to the sky. Huh? Well, turns out New Horizons had just blasted off to Pluto - at record speed. So we got out our camera and snapped a shot. Can't believe we missed it!

Jan. 20

Off to St. Augustine for the first campout rally of Families On The Road (FOTR) at Anastasia State Park. This is an event that Kimberly organized, and which we hope will turn out to be an annual (or more frequent) gathering. We arrived in mid-afternoon and met Bruce, a member of the group who is working here as the campground host. Other attendees arrived in the evening.

Jan. 21

The FOTR rally group took an excursion into town, many of us on bicycles (about four miles), past a lighthouse, over a drawbridge and around a reasonably sized contingent of anti-war demonstrators, to tour the Castillo de San Marcos (which we'd seen previously on our trip here last year). This time we watched a cannon-firing demonstration by a team of park employees and volunteers in 18th-century Spanish military costumes (including "great coats" made of wool on an 80 degree day). It was an elaborate process, a 36-step procedure trimmed down from the 72-step procedure that actually was practiced in the old days. Of course, when you're firing from a place as well fortified as this structure is, you can afford to take your time in knocking out those enemy ships lurking in the harbor--and you can even thumb your nose at them while you're at it. The fact that this citadel never has been taken by force in its 333-year history didn't deter Zephyr and the other kids from cooking up a scheme for doing just that--using fog machines, rappelling equipment, speed boats, parachutes, ATVs and a few other devices that would not have been available in days of yore.

After besieging the Castillio, we headed over to the Spanish quarter, where we browsed in an art gallery, paused for coffee and tea, and toured the oldest one-room schoolhouse in the nation. Well actually, it's four rooms if you include the upstairs spartan living quarters for teachers, the kitchen out back, and the outhouse. Come to think of it, there's even another room of sorts, a half-closet into which a naughty student would be made to sit for a time.

Back at the campground, we built a campfire (after considerable effort) and hosted the rest of the group for a marshmallow roast, a serenade by Zephyr on his electric guitar, and sideshows from our travels displayed on laptops - the modern version of old-fashioned home movies.

Jan. 22

Another day at Anastasia. One of the FOTR families had to leave, but another pulled in to stay for a week. In the evening, we assembled the group around a campfire and played Apples To Apples, a game we highly recommend. We've played it with people of all ages, creeds and backgrounds, and everyone seems to love it - even those who think they don't like games.

Jan. 23

This morning one of the rangers at Anastasia took the group on a walking tour of the salt marsh area, and pointed out some of the flora and fauna. Among the former is the Spanish Bayonet, and Dennis quickly discovered the reason for its name--it has prickly spikes on the end of its leaves that can draw blood quite readily. In the Spanish colonial days, these plants were planted around the perimeter of a fort as an additional line of defense.

In late afternoon, we hopped onto our bikes and rode into town (being delayed for a bit by the drawbridge we had to ride over) to meet the rest of the crowd for dinner and a ghost walk tour. We had a difficult time locating a suitable restaurant, because all the menus in town feature nothing but meat, seafood, seafood, fish, seafood, seafood and meat. We finally settled on a rather upscale Cajun-style establishment called Harry's, because we found one of their menus, and a rather promising vegetarian (or so we thought) dish was featured. But after we'd nestled in at our tables, we discovered that we were being offered a different menu, with that dish--and any other fleshless fare--conspicuously absent. We alerted the waiter to the problem, and he talked to the manager, who came out and told us that the dish we'd mentioned was, in fact, made with chicken broth anyway. But he promised he'd have a special vegetarian selection concocted for us. He did, and it was quite tasty, but rather pricey.

By the time the meal was over and the checks settled (delayed by computer glitches) we were running behind schedule for our ghost walk. Dennis zoomed on ahead to buy tickets for everyone, and have the guide delay a few minutes. After communicating with the rest of the pack via cell phone, we arranged for them to meet the tour en route, it got underway.

This was about the fifth ghost walk we'd taken (not counting the two dozen or so that Dennis accompanied while working Halloween in Salem), and on each occasion the guide all but promised that if patrons would snap a few photos, they'd capture some "orbs" or other phenomena allegedly caused by ghostly activity. But in each case the spirits were uncooperative and failed to deliver the goods. We were beginning to suspect that this was just a standard tongue-in-cheek come-on among such guides, who didn't really believe a word of it.

But tonight, lo and behold, the spirits (or whatever they were) were restless and quite productive. Several times, people took photos that did indeed reveal distinct "orbs". And there was no logical explanation for them; they were present in some photos, but absent from others taken in the same spot. And no discernible source of light could have produced them. Thank you, spirits--for once, you gave us our money's worth!

Jan. 24

Another ranger-led morning walk, this time along the beach. Ranger Steve displayed some skull and shell specimens of the enormous turtles that have been hanging out in the neighborhood for the past several millennia.

Our destination was the St. Augustine Lighthouse, a picturesque structure erected in 1874 and still in use--it was built to replace an older lighthouse that was not on very solid ground, and therefore collapsed (right after two women, including the lighthouse keeper's daughter, had walked out of it).

The current lighthouse is a distinctive one, with its black barber-stripe running down its length, making it look like a licorice-flavored candy cane, and making it easily identifiable by approaching ships that might be confused about what city they're approaching.

The light, now automated, still uses the original first-order Fresnel lens (a Fresnel, with the "s" silent, is one type of lighting used in theatre), although in 1986 some of its prisms were destroyed by a rifle shot, of all things (the culprit was apprehended) and had to be restored. We were able to get a close-up view of this lens after ascending the 219 steps to the top of the tower.

Back down on the ground, we browsed through the museum which originally was the living quarters of the lighthouse keepers and their families.

Jan. 25

Today's expedition was to the Alligator Farm, an attractively designed zoo that houses hundreds of reptiles from all over the world. This includes not only alligators but crocodiles. (Don't know the difference? Okay, pay attention: alligators have rounder jaws, whereas those of a crocodile tend to be more pointed--a subtle difference in some cases, and in others, much more evident. Additionally, the fourth tooth on each side of a crocodile's lower jaw tends to extend up above its upper jaw when the mouth is closed.) Some of the species exhibited were quite unusual--there were even some albino alligators, which we'd never seen before. And some were rather enormous, although none as big as Gomek - the legendary monster captured in New Guinea and brought to the Alligator Farm, where he stayed until he died (probably in his seventies) in 1997. Gomek is now kept on display, taxidermically, and you can marvel at his 17.9 ft. hulk. (Incredibly, an even larger beast was captured at the same time as Gomek, but nobody knows what happened to it.)

We watched a show in the amphitheater featuring a witty young reptile handler who brought out, among other things, a large rattlesnake, which he handled bare-handed.

Jan. 26

Our destination today was Flagler College, named after developer and oil tycoon Henry Flagler, who in partnership with John D. Rockefeller formed Standard Oil. What is now the primary building on campus was originally the Ponce de Leon Hotel, one of several lavish resorts for the ultra-wealthy constructed or purchased in Florida by Flagler. (Flagler is also considered the principal founder of the city of Miami; indeed, some of its early citizens wanted to name the newly incorporated city after him. But he modestly persuaded them instead to adopt the old Indian name Miami.) The hotel was in operation from 1888 to 1967, when it was closed and sold to the College. Today, Flagler is a strikingly attractive (physical and otherwise) institution of higher learning that limits enrollment to 2050 students, and maintains an average class size of 21. The cost to attend, including tuition, room and board, is about $13,000 per year, which apparently is below average these days. A patron of the Ponce de Leon Hotel might have spent an equivalent sum in just a few nights here!

The tour group was considerably larger than usual, and as they were admiring the ornate decor in the lobby, we took advantage in a lull to discreetly ask our guide--a coed at the school--about a little legend we'd read. Flagler, it seems, was so fond of his hotel that he vowed he'd never abandon it. Fittingly, his funeral was held in this very room, and at one point the door slammed shut, as if blown by wind, of which there was none. some folks surmised that it was his ghost come to attend his own send-off. And the next day, a janitor cleaning the floor discovered what appeared to be the imprint of a face--the face, seemingly of Flagler himself. Our guide said that she indeed was familiar with the face, but was not allowed to mention it on the tour; the school doesn't want to emphasize such supernatural elements in its PR. But she promised she'd point it out to us privately when the tour was concluded.

With this to look forward to, we ascended the stairs to the elegant dining hall, adorned with Tiffany stained glass, exquisite relief-work, mosaics and Spanish Renaissance style chairs (some original, some reproductions). The palatial room is still used for dining purposes, and students who were having their meal at the time we were there had to contend with trying to focus on their hamburgers and their economics textbooks with tourists peeking over their shoulders. But then, if they can concentrate on studies in the midst of such bewitching architectural and artistic splendor, their focus is pretty much unshakeable.

Once the tour was over, we reminded the guide of her promise, and she was as good as her word. Back in the lobby, she pulled aside a couple of chairs and showed us the face on the floor. Even though she was familiar with it already, it took her a bit of effort to locate it, because it's not much bigger than a quarter. But there it was, a design that really did look very much like a human face--and which in fact well might pass for the likeness of a young Henry Flagler.

Jan. 27

Today we visited the old coquina quarry, just inside the park entrance. Coquina (ko-KEE-na) is a naturally occurring building material formed from seashells, and it was used in construction of many of the historic buildings in St. Augustine and vicinity. In fact, it was used in the walls of the Castillo San Marcos; one reason, aside from its abundance, is that it's sturdy and yet soft, so cannonballs would tend to bounce off instead of damaging the walls. Coquina is not to be confused with tabby, which is an artificial construction material also incorporating (generally larger) seashells, and also used locally. This quarry, which was in operation for about 3 centuries, is now just a big gully with plants and a hiking trail, littered with the occasional beer bottle-- a bit of a disappointment.

The next stop was a miniature golf course, just outside the park entrance.

Jan. 28

With the FOTR rally concluded, we did some sightseeing in town under the direction of Bruce and Sylvia, the campground hosts. We met up with them in town, once again riding our bicycles over the drawbridge and waiting for the bridge to go up and down. This is the historic Bridge Of Lions, which is the translation of Ponce de Leon, who landed here once upon a time, supposedly in quest of the Fountain Of Youth (actually, he was recruiting slaves). It's a quaint structure built in the 1920's, and is slated for a facelift. In the meantime, a temporary bridge is being constructed alongside it, to be used while the old bridge is being refurbished. Then, the temporary bridge will earn its temporary status by being demolished.

Hover your mouse to lift the bridge

Once in town, we rendezvoused up at a cruise boat terminal, and took a 90-minute ride on the bay, up to the lighthouse and back again. The pilot pointed out that his family has been giving boat tours since the forties, when his grandfather started the business.

From there, we went to a wax museum, which was of some interest because of the historical figures represented. But the most lifelike effigies were of Michael Jordan--which actually was out front rather then inside the building-- and Michael Richards of "Seinfeld". Yes, the cast of that show was depicted, along with Darth Vader, Winston Churchill and the 6 wives of Henry VIII. (Anne Boleyn was shown with normal hands, though in reality she had 6 digits on each.)

On to the Lightner Museum, in one of the historic buildings across from Flagler College. Quite a hodgepodge of artwork (including collages made of cigar bands), antique furniture, musical appliances, stuffed animals and even a shrunken head.

Jan. 29

Another day of sightseeing in St. Augustine with our resident guides. The first stop was the Old Jail, a gloomy testament of a very harsh life for anyone who was imprisoned here during its heyday. A scaffold out back is a grim reminder that hangings were conducted here--but the inmates who weren't hanged may have wished they were dead at times. They lived in crowded, cramped conditions that must have been unbearably hot during the summer. And the windows had no glass on them, so bugs, reptiles and other varmints could wander in and share a bunk. It would have been bad enough to subject even hardened criminals to these conditions, but some of the detainees were just guilty of being in the wrong place at the wrong time. During the early Twentieth Century, Florida maintained a "leasing" program for convicts, which is a euphemistic way of saying that they provided slave labor. It was such a lucrative sideline to rent out jailbirds as workers that unscrupulous law enforcement personnel began rounding up "lawbreakers" at a vigorous rate, even if they had to dream up offences to do it. A person might be sentenced to 6 months behind bars for wearing the wrong kind of hat on Sunday; a black person might be sentenced for trying to vote. Once incarcerated, they'd be subjected to long hours of grueling labor, and sometimes savage beatings--some of which ended in death.

With these pleasant experiences to ponder, we left the Old Jail behind and headed to the Colonial Spanish Quarter. This is a living history museum located in the heart of the tourist district on St. George St. Costumed interpreters perform tasks that would have been common in the city in the early Eighteenth Century - candle making, leatherworking, blacksmithing and herbal medicine. In the apothecary shop where the latter was practiced, we learned that tobacco was used to kill lice--so yes, Virginia and North Carolina, perhaps it really does have its useful purposes after all!

And then our last St. Augustine attraction: Ripley's Believe It Or Not Museum. We know, we know, that doesn't sound like a particularly local draw, since these museums are all over the place (29 of them and counting worldwide). But this is THE Ripley's museum, the big kahuna, the first and allegedly best; it houses many items from his personal collection, and he chose this site himself--although he never lived to see it in operation.

The building itself is a castle built in 1887 to be the winter home of a millionaire. Later, it was converted into a hotel by Norton Baskin and his wife, Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings, the Pulitzer-winning author of The Yearling. Ripley stayed at this hotel many times, and made several unsuccessful attempts to purchase it. After his death in 1949, his heirs succeeded where he'd failed; they bought the facility the following year and honored his wishes to convert it into a museum.

Today, the castle is home to hundreds of artifacts of this extraordinary man's life and career. Leroy "Robert" Ripley visited 201 countries (his favorite was China), reputedly making him the most traveled individual in history. And from every nook and cranny of the world he collected curios, curiosities, legends and lore. He also was a highly skilled illustrator, and depicted his findings in a long-running cartoon strip. He didn't necessarily claim that all the stories he presented were genuine ("Believe It Or Not"), but a man who was obsessed with discrediting him tried for many years to prove him guilty of fraud, and was unable to. Most of the items displayed are probably genuine, but a few really raise red flags all over the place. (A chicken that lived 18 months after its head was cut off? A crown of thorns made from the same bush as Jesus' crown??) In any case, it's a truly engrossing (though occasionally just grossing) way to spend the better part of a day. And it can be rather educational at times. Did you know, for instance, that some cannibals are strictly prohibited from touching the flesh they consume, and have special forks for that purpose? Don't you feel more enlightened knowing that? Hey, Mr. Ripley actually was photographed with cannibals.

Oh yes, and among other things, Robert Ripley was fond of practical jokes, as we discovered from some of the exhibits.

Jan. 30

Struck camp, which didn't take long, because we took our tents down last night and slept in the van. We'd heard the forecast of heavy rains, possibly thunderstorms, and we didn't want to risk packing away wet tents today. Been there, done that. As it turns out, our precautions were wise - last night we received the only rain we've seen (except for a very light sprinkle) since arriving here. The skies cleared by noon, and we were able to go down to the beach for a bit, a fine beach which was rather close to our campsite, but which we'd severely neglected with all the other activities. The only time we came here was when we rode our bikes down a few days ago to watch several kite enthusiasts flying their enormous custom-built kites.

And then we said goodbye to St. Augustine, one of our favorite places to hole up during the winter.

Jan. 31

Stopped in Jacksonville to catch up on some of the Internet work we've been neglecting while camping the past 10 days.

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