Final Day in South Florida :(

WP Franklin Lock Campground in Alva, FL …

Tuesday, March 8, 2011

First of all, let me wish our beautiful niece Alexis a very Happy Birthday. Oh to be 23 again!

We are somewhat sad to be leaving South Florida where we have lived since December 31. But as they say, all good things must come to an end, right?

It’s not that we’re not ready to move on. It’s just that we looked forward to our winter trip for many months. And once we were here, we have enjoyed every day to the fullest. Well, ok … maybe Charlie can’t say he enjoyed some of those days when he was down with his back. But at least that happened early on, and he gradually improved. But now we must leave the balmy weather and the sound of tall palm trees blowing in the breeze.

Of course I am certain that once we get to our new destination tomorrow, all will be well. It will have a totally different feel, but we will be delighted in the newness and the uniqueness of the area.

We had a very nice day here today although we stayed quite busy. Throughout the day, I made two birthday cards for a couple of very special ladies in our lives. That was fun.

We took our morning walk and then once again had toast and fresh grapefruit outside by the water. As we ate and sipped coffee, a huge blue heron flew by in all its glory right in front of us. It was gorgeous! We remarked that you couldn’t get this view in any restaurant.

We then went out to run some errands. I had my haircut while Charlie filled the truck with diesel at $3.91 per gallon. Ouch! Then we drove to La Belle to pick up our mail for the last time. We also stopped at the Honey shop to pick up two bottles of their Orange Blossom Honey and some fresh oranges. We stopped at a little antique store on Hwy 80 where I purchased a couple small items.

The rest of the afternoon passed quickly as we did some chores around camp to prepare for travel tomorrow. Charlie again put items away in the “basement” area of the RV and reorganized our space.

For supper tonight we decided to go out for a special dinner. There was a place called Red’s Fresh Seafood House and Tavern that Charlie wanted to try. So we drove to the village of Bokeelia on Pine Island. When we arrived at 6:00pm, the place was already packed. But we didn’t have to wait and were seated at a very comfy booth.

First they brought out some delicious Foccacia bread served with an herbed butter. Red’s menu is very extensive, so it took us a while to read through it before making our selections. We finally decided on a Crab Dip appetizer to start. Wow, this was some of the best Crab Dip I’d ever tasted. Next they brought out our salads served with a choice of several house made dressings. Charlie had the Caesar salad which was very good, and I had a tossed salad with a Zesty Greek Dressing which I loved.

My entrée was very good . It was a local white fish called Triple Tail which is only available a certain time of year. I ordered it “Royal” which meant it was served in a King Crab cheese sauce. The fish was also baked with a delicious bread crumb topping. Charlie ordered a Shrimp dish. He said the shrimp were very good, but he didn’t really care for the topping of melted cheese and spinach. We both selected the smashed potatoes which we both felt was pretty unforgettable and not worth the calories. But overall, Reds is a very good restaurant which we would definitely recommend. They offer a very wide range of prices for their entrees as well. Next time I will probably try the Crab Cakes.

I talked to my Mom tonight on the phone, and they are having a very good time on the road this week. We are planning to see them again in Ocala on Thursday.

Our temperatures reached 86 today, and it was just a beautiful day. Tomorrow is forecast to be quite warm too, and we will be On the Road Again …

Mar 8, 2011

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