A Beautiful Sunday

We left Big Bass Campground near Ocala with the intention of arriving a few days later on the east coast of Texas..  guess what?   We're NOT THERE YET..  (smile).    Sheryl suggested we check out the Gulf Shores National Seashore near Pensacola Beach, Florida.   We found a National Park Seashore Campground at Fort Pickens with lots of space and surrounded by water.  

 

 

We got into the National Seashore free with our "America the Beautiful" pass-card.  Our pass-card also got us a 50% discount on the daily camping rate which went from $20 to $10 per night including  water and electric.   And as of today, you can stay 42 DAYS per year before having to move!  How great is that! 

We have been enjoying the sun, sand, and surf.

 

It's a six-mile drive from the city out a peninsula toward Fort Pickens and the campground.

There's water and sand on either side..  and what a sunset.

More about Fort Pickens in a later blog..

Today Sunday, January 28, 2012, began with a great sunrise, breakfast, and a fantastic church service at South Side Campus of the Gulf Breeze United Methodist Church.   It reminded us of being back at New Covenant - nice building, lots of people, a great worship team, timely video, and a great message..  all right here in the heart of Dixie...  well, the Pensacola, Florida area.

Before going back to the RV in the campground, we took a little sightseeing tour of downtown Pensacola.   And we love ships..  take a look at this one.

Our question was:  "What is it?"   We found out later that the Global 1200 is a pipeline laying ship capable of laying up to 60" concrete encased pipe.   Since we're on the Gulf of Mexico (BP OIL), a pipeline laying ship made perfect sense.   Speaking of ships, notice the bowsprit at the right of the picture.

The "Peacemaker" was tied up at the wharf and was open to the public.  Originally built in the 1980's, it was purchased by the Twelve Tribes in the summer of 2000, a religious group with 50 or so communities in North and South America, Europe, and Australia.    They spent the next seven years replacing all of the ship’s mechanical and electrical systems and rigging it as a barquentine. The refit vessel set sail for the first time in the spring of 2007, under the name Peacemaker.  The Peacemaker will be used to travel between the communities of the Twelve Tribes while providing an apprenticeship program for their youth in sailing, seamanship, navigation, and boat maintenance.

 

The ship has a United States Coast Guard attraction vessel permit and is available for festivals and dockside hospitality events.

Our plans for tomorrow are to visit the Pensacola Naval Aviation Museum...   but, ya never know.   Something else might come along.

It's been a long time again since posting...

We have spent the past week at the Big Bass Campground in the Ocala National Forest.  It's a nice place to hang out and the weather has been terrific.   I think it used to be called Big Bass Lake Campground but the lake dried up!

 

Since we've blogged last, I've added a solar panel which helps keep the battery charged during the day..  we do run the furnace at night when its cold.....

... and a 2000 Watt inverter in the kitchen. 

The solar panel helps with the battery charging on sunny days and the inverter gives us enough juice in the mornings to heat coffee without starting the generator.  Okay -- we're spoiled.

Big Bass Campground has a trail around it's perimeter..

  

We were hoping to see some black bears (there are warnings about them everywhere) but all we saw was the "leavings" (bear dung).   Gerry (the guy camping across the road from us) went way back into the forest and saw 8 or 9.  So, we got in our 4x4 and headed out on one of the "washboard" roads near our campsite..  we went 2-3 miles (seemed like 20 on the washboard road) but we saw no bear..  oh well..

We are cooking on a open campfire (some)..

We are planning on pulling out Monday - Destination is South Padre National Seashore - After all, it's "the trip to warmth."

I can't believe it's 2012

I know I haven't written anything since November 24, 2011...  we've been seriously busy and haven't had anything outstanding to write.   Sheryl and I have been living in our mobile home at the Light and Life Park in Lakeland, Florida.  We've been getting the mobile ready for the renters, who, by the way, moved in yesterday.   

We had travel trailer bearing "issues" while staying at the campground in Ocala.   When we got the trailer unhooked here in lakeland, I called the travel trailer manufacturer and they referred me to the company that built the frame and axles - Lippert, Inc in Indiana.

I explained the situation and the response shocked me:   "We're going to send you two new axles, free of charge" the company rep said.  "Pick out a dealer you'd like to go to to get them installed.   And please write down the following tracking number _________."   BOY - was I surprised.   A couple of weeks later, we were rolling on two new axles complete with new bearings.

I'm still not thrilled with the way the braking system is working and I'm going to get to the bottom of it.   

We are looking forward to "getting on the road" and we are watching the temperatures along Interstate 10 to Arizona and the South Padre Island area in Texas.

Maybe the next post will have some interesting pictures..  maybe not.. :)