Seeking adventures on nature trails in the Lower Suwannee National Wildlife Refuge, Florida.
Seeking adventures on nature trails in the Lower Suwannee National Wildlife Refuge, Florida.

Drive as far as you can and then walk even further. Nature trails in the Lower Suwannee National Wildlife Refuge, Florida.
Drive as far as you can, park and then walk even further. Nature trails in the Lower Suwannee National Wildlife Refuge, Florida.

Cedar Key RV Resort, like most RV parks, has a strict pet leash rule so to afford Maggie the running time she needs we’ve been exploring some of the local state parks and wildlife refuges. I’m not sure dogs are allowed off leash in these areas either but we seldom see anyone else or signs prohibiting, so…sometimes she gets loose.

Maggie always has to be the first to arrive. McCormick Creek Boat Ramp, Lower Suwannee National Wildlife Refuge, Florida.
Maggie always has to be the first to arrive. McCormick Creek Boat Ramp, Lower Suwannee National Wildlife Refuge, Florida.

McCormick Creek Boat Ramp, Lower Suwannee National Wildlife Refuge, Florida.
McCormick Creek Boat Ramp, Lower Suwannee National Wildlife Refuge, Florida.

We just passed our two month milestone of RV’ing.  It hasn’t been long enough to feel like the new day-to-day normal but it has been long enough that the 5th Wheel RV is feeling more like home. Overall,  I’d have to say it still feels a little vacation-like.

McCormick Creek, Lower Suwannee National Wildlife Refuge, Florida.
McCormick Creek, Lower Suwannee National Wildlife Refuge, Florida.

Marsh/wetlands, Lower Suwannee National Wildlife Refuge, Florida.
Marsh/wetlands, Lower Suwannee National Wildlife Refuge, Florida.

Swampland, Lower Suwannee National Wildlife Refuge, Florida.
Swampland, Lower Suwannee National Wildlife Refuge, Florida.

With this stopover we’ve been on a bit of a spending spree adding some creature comforts — things like a new small gas grill, a couple of zero gravity chairs, a sun screen for our awning, protective grid for the bottom of our screen door (“remember Maggie there’s a screen there”) and a number of other small things we’re sure we need (thank-you Amazon Prime).  The resorts’ work staff is probably wondering what we’re up to because one of their services is delivering mail and packages to your trailer.  Needless to say, they don’t have to look up our lot number anymore!

Recovery after a prescribed burn, The Florida Scrub, Cedar Key.
Recovery after a prescribed burn, The Florida Scrub, Cedar Key.

The Florida Scrub, Cedar Key
The Florida Scrub, Cedar Key

We have about another month and a half left in Florida. We will remain at Cedar Key until the middle of April and then move westward to another Gulf Coast spot. After the first of May we’ll be able to take care of the Florida registration for our vehicles, secure our new driver’s license and register to vote in, all of which will establish our Florida residency.

Horseback riders in he Florida Scrub, Cedar Key.
Horseback riders in he Florida Scrub, Cedar Key.

From that point on our curiosity and the weather forecast will determine our travels, but west and north will likely be our general directions.

We believe it’s going well just two months in. And we’ve decided we’re not retired; we’re on permanent vacation.

9 Comments

  1. Just as you say, “meandering.” :-)

  2. Kathryn Hester

    We feel the same after over a year on the road! So glad to hear you are enjoying the Lower Suwanne…so beautiful. We are at Jamaica Beach RV Resort in Galveston, TX. We really like this park and the area. It may be a place you will want to check out in the future (not during the summer though…too hot).

    • Kathryn, nice to know the vacation feelings about this lifestyle may not fade. Thanks, we’ll make note of the Jamaica Beach RV Resort…for cooler times! :-)

  3. Voting in FL? Well, that will be two more votes to complicate things for the officials down there!
    Pix are awesome and those of us still a’shiver in the northeast are jealous as can be! I would turn green with envy, but nothing in Maine is green yet…

    • Yeah, we’ll be voting by absentee ballots…I wonder if they send a little bag of chad along with those? :-)

      Thanks on the pix…hopefully the warm weather and the associated greenery will arrive for you soon!

      Bonnie’s a trouble maker…you’ll understand this more when you receive her email. LOL

  4. Hmmmm. My skin is turning a certain shade of green as I sit here and contemplate the email that we got the other day saying that we are to work the next 6 weekends in a row because of the amount of work and tight timeline. Grrrrrr. For sure, I won’t miss the working world. I’m glad that you’re having a great time. It’s hard to believe that you set sail 2 months+ ago. But then again, it was winter and cold, now 80 degree days are the norm. :D

    • Wow, Paul, that was great news wasn’t it? Hope you didn’t have anything personal planned for those “next 6 weekends.” I can only assure you the headaches of work swiftly fall away once you retire and you realize that it was all only a means to an end — nothing more. Work hard, plan well for retirement and then live fully no matter what retirement may look like. Okay…enough “wisdom of the day!” ;-)

      • Yeah, Earl. Words cannot explain my level of happiness at those glad tidings! :) I realized, long ago that work is simply a way to get money to do things that I like to do. I gave up on a career long, long ago! and it’s always good to hear wisdom!