It’s been a challenge to update the blog due to the lack of Internet anywhere near Mystic Springs, but nonetheless we are all glad we went. Saturday was a great wrap-up, eventually. It didn’t start off well. Emma woke up feeling badly again, and while we were at Panera Bread updating the blog, well, she had a bad moment which certainly didn’t do anything for the appetites of the dozen college students tapping away at their computers.

We took her home and put her back in bed, and I went to the past president’s luncheon without Eleanor and Emma. A lot of people showed up, so the park was full of Airstreams, which was great to see. By mid-afternoon, Emma was back on track and our home was full of interested passers-by who wanted to chat about what we do and what sort of Airstream, tow vehicle, hitch, and cordless drill we do it with.

Rich gives an impromptu seminar on Hensley hitches

Dinner was a hotdog campfire with everyone (Emma didn’t eat one, which told me she was still not feeling 100%), and we ended up staying up later than we should have. I left a bit early and snuck back to the Airstream to watch “Star Trek: Enterprise” on DVD … my first three episodes arrived from Netflix and I couldn’t wait.

Sunday was more showings, and talking, which meant we couldn’t leave early, but we didn’t really want to anyway. Finally we managed to get everything packed up by 11, hit the “leftover lunch” for a few minutes, and slowly pull out over the sandy roads and back down Rt 29 to Pensacola.

I will go on record as saying this, at risk of being labeled a curmudgeon: Spring Break has ruined the panhandle of Florida. When I was a student at LSU (Baton Rouge) many years ago, the panhandle was a peaceful place with large sections of wild open beach. I remember a great spring break that I spent living in a shack made of bamboo. So driving east on Rt 98 I had hoped to show Eleanor and Emma the beautiful green water and white sands that make this place so gorgeous.

But it’s spring break season, and every campground and state park was full. No chance of getting in, except at one place that was willing to let us in for $70 a night. Panama City is not what I remember, but that’s no surprise since it has been 20 years. We tried a few spots, but ultimately nothing was available (or appealing) and we kept heading east. Sometimes, that’s how it goes.

We ended up in a tiny harborside campground (Presnell’s Bayside Marina) in Port St Joe, which is near Cape San Blas. We arrived in time for a beautiful sunset, but the air was filled with tiny midges which nipped mercilessly at us, and so we spent the evening inside. At least it was quiet and warm all night. By the way, if you want to take your RV to the water and then walk to a fishing charter, this is a great spot to try.

Camping in Port St Joe

I’ll post more about where we spent most of today, and where we are going, a bit later. Right now, I’m just catching a moment of Internet connectivity on a stop along the road. Cellular coverage along Rt 98 is not great. At the moment, we’re in Perry, FL, which is not where we intend to spend the night, and it’s time to get back in the saddle.