April 2nd we spent the day in the car...we wanted to make some miles and make our way down the panhandle. If we were going to make it to the Keys then we needed to make some time.....little did we know at the time that that wouldn't be the case. Anyway, we spent the day in the car and drove 340 miles....our longest trip in quite awhile.
 |
As we have become accustomed too...when Sheba is looking for some attention
she lifts her paw so that you can hold her paw....so cute!
|
 |
| Occasionally she gets to ride in a lap...the lap dog! |
Finally we arrive in Mayberry...Okay so maybe not "Mayberry" , we are in Old Town, Florida at the Old Town Campground and Retreat with an unusual campground host in an unusual campground.
As a back story....we wanted to stay in Mantee Springs state park, but the campground was full so Julie found this place. It had good reviews, was a reasonable rate so why not. When she called Joe, the owner, answered the phone. He was adamant that we had to be there by 7:00pm because he was closed thereafter. Per Julie's iPhone we were to be in at 7:10. We spent the day trying to make up the difference and even drove a 6 hour stint...non-stop...meaning no potty breaks. And we pulled in two minutes before 7:00. Per the sign he closes the gates at 7pm and doesn't open them until 9am. Does that mean that we are going to be stuck in there until 9am every day? When we got there this is what we saw....not sure the pictures really do it justice. After calling him on the office phone, per directions, Joe met up with us on his golf cart and directed us in....wildly waving his arms and coming back to tell Don to speed up (so wish I had my camera ready for that one). All we could do was chuckle! We didn't know what we were in for...the plan was to stay a few days. When we pulled in he said he had to go home for dinner and would be back!
 |
| The office |
 |
| if you can see....Mayberry pictures are up on the wall! |
 |
| Joe's golf cart....wish I had a picture of him in it! |
 |
| Sheba's new thing....table surfing |
When Joe came back he told us to come and pay in the office in the morning....scolded us for putting on bug spray and lighting our bug candle (maybe we are paranoid these days, but we felt the no-see-ums were out again). Told us where the bathrooms were and that he only had one open because only 4 of us were going to be using it. Seemed most of the other tenants were permanently living there in their RVs! We were one of the few "guests" in the park!
 |
| Don needed some news...we know nothing of the world happenings |
 |
| Our new campsite.... |
Then it was an exciting candlelight dinner of microwaved burritos, nachos and beer. No....not terribly healthy but we needed to go to the store...it was that or mac and cheese!
And here's hoping that all works out in Mayberry...
Don was hoping to snorkel with the manatees as well as take advantage of the diving at the spring in the Park. Unfortunately our tanks were not full and there was no way to accomplish this here or anywhere close...So snorkeling it was. And the snorkeling was very cool indeed. For those of you that don't know....manatees are large marine mammals that can weigh up to 1300 pounds, sometimes called the sea cow. They are large, gentle, slow moving animals that are vegetarians. And we went snorkeling with a few of them.
