This is Why …

Friday, 11 January
Fort Pickens Campground — Gulf Islands National Seashore (GINS), Florida
Temps: Lo 60F / Hi 72F (15.5C / 22C)

Boy were the weather forecasters wrong today!

We thought we were going to have another overcast, dreary day with a very good chance of rain.  Hah!  It turned out to be a jewel of a day — the kind of day that we can point to and say “This is why we came to Florida!”

And such a bonus it was after two drab and gloomy days, and a serious downpour last night as a storm front moved in from the west to drench us but good.

We were all set to spend the day at home when we woke up this morning.  Maybe go out for another 10-mile (16 km) trike ride — which is what we did yesterday despite the rather thick fog, and the clammy mist hanging in the air.  I was comfortably ensconced on the sofa, checking emails, when what should catch my eye but a colorful sunrise.  Minutes later, the sun was a golden orb in a bright blue sky.  Just then, Mui returned from the bathhouse and we both exclaimed — “Let’s grab a quick breakfast and get going!”  And that’s what we did.

11,460 steps or 3.25 miles or 5.2 kilometers — anyway you look at it, we had a great walk.
Setting out along Pensacola Bay, we headed to Fort Pickens, rounded the
tip of the island, and walked back along the Gulf of Mexico.

There really are no words to describe our long walk — except to say that it was excellent.  Setting out at 8:30a, we covered the 3.25 miles (5.2 km) — based on my measured stride — in three hours.  Yes, we took our time and enjoyed every minute — despite the 92% humidity and no shade on the beach.  Of course, there were stops along the way to take photos, and also to eat the snacks we had hastily packed.

Pensacola Bay is mirror-smooth this morning.

Willets

Great Blue Heron

Kildeer

Willet

Brown pelican
(I posted my favorite pelican shot from today in the Viewfinder Blog.)

Common Loon
Subtitle: “I’m so happy to see you; let me give you a hug!”

Crab

They say the sign of a good photographer is getting low … and getting dirty!
the result (top right) was worth getting sand all over my clothes!

Ruddy Turnstone (Juvenile)

Top: Where Pensacola Bay meets the Gulf of Mexico.
Bottom: The surf is rougher and there is more mist along the Gulf.

Mushroom cap Jellyfish — some of the ones we saw were huge!

Portuguese Man o’ War — Beware; they can be deadly!

We enjoy the shells on the beach, but we don’t bring them home!

Erosion at work on the Gulf-side beach!

Ghost Crab

You would think that after walking for three hours that we would just go home.  Well, we did; but we didn’t stay long — it was just too beautiful a day, and we were too close to the beach not to take advantage of it.  Besides, the siren call of the sea was just too much for Mui!  He made a couple of sandwiches, we grabbed some drinks, and headed over to Langdon Beach, just down the road from us.

Are you wondering why Mui's dressed in his snorkeling skin? ...

… It’s because he really did go in the water today!  Crazy man — the water temp was only 60F (15.5C)!
(Don’t worry; he didn’t go far … the surf was too rough, so he played in the shallows.)

It was after 2:00p when we finally returned to the Phaeton.  After we got ourselves cleaned up, Mui took care of a few things around the coach, and I sat in the sun and read through the pile of brochures that has been growing.  It felt so good to be sitting outside, a light breeze keeping the temps at bay.

On the recommendation of Tena, our contact at AHB (our mail service), we decided to have dinner at Peg Leg Pete’s.  It’s located in Pensacola Beach, a mile or two outside the gate to GINS — Gulf Islands National Seashore.  So glad we went.  No white linen at this shack-of-a-restaurant, but the service was very good; and so was the food.  The seafood was some of the best we’ve had in a long time.  (The place is owned by the same people who own Maria’s, a seafood market in Pensacola.)  We shared a calamari appetizer and grilled shrimp main course — both were oh so tender, and perfectly cooked.  And the key lime pie was the crowning touch.

A most excellent meal.  Peg Leg Pete’s gets two thumbs up from us.

Not sure how long this great weather will continue.  You can be sure that we will be taking advantage of it while we can.

Errands and New Friends

Wednesday, 9 January
Fort Pickens Campground — Gulf Islands National Seashore (GINS), Florida
Temps: Lo 58F / Hi 66F (14C / 19C)

One day of blue skies and sunshine, and we’re back to clouds and mostly dreary conditions.  We got a short break with the sun peeking through yesterday afternoon.  Today, we added fog into the mix.  We woke up to misty conditions that lasted through the day.  Not once did the sun show itself.

So be it; good time for quiet walks on the beach, making plans for the next few months, running errands, and making new friends.

The map to the right shows the miles we logged with the toad yesterday — about 75 miles (120 km).  Most of it was to run errands.

One thing about Florida — everything is spread out.  Another thing about Florida — getting from the barrier islands to inland spots is not always a straightforward shot.

(1)  Fort Pickens Campground … (2) American Home Base … (3) Commissary … (4) National Naval Aviation Museum … (5) Joe Patti’s …
(6) Back to the Campground.

We started out early yesterday morning with a drive to our “mailbox home” at American Home Base (AHB).  We could have asked them to send our mail to us, but we figured we’d make an in-person call and say hi to our contact there as well.  Since starting to fulltime, they’ve sent us our mail twice (on demand) and so far we have no reason to regret our decision to use them.

Next, we drove to the commissary to pick up a few things.  Unlike most commissaries we’ve shopped at, this one is off-station and required a detour before the fun part of our day.

Shopping completed, it was onto the National Naval Aviation Museum, located on Naval Air Station Pensacola.  Although the Navy Lodge we stayed at in September is practically across the street from the museum, our time was limited and we didn’t get a chance to visit it then.  Since running errands took longer than expected, our plans to tour the facility today didn’t quite work out as expected either.  So we’re 0 for 2 for this museum — which, by all accounts, is not to be missed.  Perhaps third time will be the charm.

In the universal language of all aviators, a WWII pilot relives his flight with naval
aviators from his past and future.
L to R: WWI, WWII, Korea, Vietnam, Desert Storm.

The trip to the museum was far from a waste, however.  One of the reasons we were there was to keep a lunch date with new friends.  Ron and Ina, soon-to-be fulltimers from Woodbridge, Virginia, reached out to us soon after we arrived at Fort Pickens.  Since they’re snowbirding it at the Blue Angel Rec Area (military campground), the Historic Cubi Bar Café at the museum made for a convenient meet-up location.

We sat in the open area overlooking the restored planes in the “early aircraft” display area.  In hindsight, we probably should have sat inside for a step-back into history.  You see, the café is not just an eatery, but an exhibit in its own right.  The décor and layout apparently duplicates the bar of the famous Cubi Point Officers’ Club in Subic Bay (Philippines).  During the Vietnam conflict, the squadrons began a tradition of placing plaques in the bar.  When the club was closed in 1992, those plaques were moved here and placed exactly as they had been at Cubi Point.

The café is filled with memorabilia from the original Cubi Bar.
[collage from photos courtesy of the website]

The menu offers a simple, but tasty selection of soups, salads, sandwiches, and paninis.  I was happy with the Half Aviator’s Choice and Cup of Soup (in my case, ham on whole wheat and Italian wedding soup); Mui ordered the Barrel Roll — a panini consisting of sliced deli ham and warm pulled pork, dill pickle slices, and Swiss cheese.

Thanks, Ron and Ina, for treating us to lunch; next time we meet up, lunch is on us.

We debated spending the afternoon at the museum, but hints of blue sky encouraged us to deviate from our plans.  Well, that and the lure of Joe Patti’s seafood market.  We had heard of this place from several people, and now that we’ve been, we understand why it is so highly recommended.  We picked up some salmon — part of which we had for lunch today; and a couple pounds of shrimp.  We will go back to fill up our freezer before we leave the area.  And to have more of the excellent gelato also sold at Joe Patti’s ;-)

No photos from inside; but here’s one from outside the hangar-like market building.

By the time we arrived at the campground, the sun was out and the patches of blue showing between the clouds were on the increase.  So, we quickly put the groceries away and went for a short walk that turned into a long walk.  We started out on Pensacola Beach, walked up to and through the group camping area, and strolled back via the gulf-side beach.  The sun went into hiding halfway through our walk, but we enjoyed ourselves nonetheless.

We saw another nine-banded armadillo near the campground, but it was too fast for me.  So, here’s the sum total of my wildlife photos from yesterday … didn’t take the camera out today.

The brown pelican was at the pier at Joe Patti’s; the Great Blue Heron (probably a male
preparing the nest for this year’s mating season) was not far from the campground.

Although I didn’t take the camera out today, we did go out.  We didn’t stray far from the campground, opting to create our own trail by walking the Blackbird Marsh trail, connecting to the gulf-side beach via the loop A access, wandering all the way to Battery Cooper, and returning via an inland trail we happened upon that took us by Battery Worth before it dropped us into loop B in our section of the campground.

Tomorrow’s weather forecast is iffy.  There are storms moving in from the west that might bring rain.  On the other hand, the front may wiggle and by-pass us.  So, we’re in wait-and-see mode as far as any sightseeing is concerned.

The Bay or the Gulf … Take Your Pick

Monday, 7 January
Fort Pickens Campground — Gulf Islands National Seashore (GINS), Florida
Temps: Lo 44F / Hi 62F (7C / 17C)

What a gorgeous day we had!  After two days of dreary overcast conditions, today’s blue skies and sunshine were such a welcome change.  The day dawned cold, with a breeze that added to the chill.  But by mid-day the air was still and in the sun it sure felt warmer than the recorded high of 62F (17C).

Fort Pickens Campground is located on Santa Rosa Island, a barrier island that sits between the Gulf of Mexico on one side and Pensacola Bay on the other side.  The gulf waters are a beautiful aqua, the hues changing from pale to dark depending on the depth.  The bay, on the other hand, is a moodier body of water, its color ranging from blue, to navy, to brown-black in places.  Both are bordered by white beaches, but the sand on the gulf side seems finer, brighter, and whiter.  Each is beautiful in its own way; and we got to experience them both today.

Before our mid-morning date with former-fulltimers Chuck and Anneke, Mui and I donned our layers against the wind-induced chill and took the short, sandy path that connects from loop E to the narrow stretch of beach that fronts Pensacola Bay.  We sprinted down the beach in an effort to stay warm, but enjoyed ourselves nonetheless.

Seeing stingrays washed ashore was a first for us; unfortunately, neither was alive.
No rescue opportunities today.

In September, we walked the beach at NAS Pensacola, across the bay from where we are today.

The sanderlings were busy looking for breakfast and weren’t as skittish this morning.

We met Chuck and Anneke (of Goldenshoe RV Trip) for the first time last September when we came out to Pensacola to establish our residency.  Today, they drove out to check out the campground here at Fort Pickens and then came by the motorhome.

From the laughter and chatter, you would have thought that we’ve known each other for years.  Yup; it was a typical meeting between fellow RVers with a common interest.  Around noon, we headed out to Niki’s, a Greek/Italian eatery in Gulf Breeze.  We all ordered gyro wraps, which were quite tasty, but difficult to eat … next time, I’ll just get the platter.  Of course, the good conversation and laughter continued through our meal.

Sorry no photos of the four of us from today, or of the food!  I’ll have to try to remember to get a few shots the next time we see them.  In the meantime, I’ll re-cycle the photo we had taken at McGuire’s Irish Pub last September.  The attire we had on that day would definitely not have been appropriate for today’s much cooler temps!

Thanks for the company, Chuck and Anneke.

After returning home, we made a couple of phone calls and then headed back out again — this time for a walk along the beach fronting the gulf.  I love deserted beaches.  We saw a father shelling with his two sons, and that was it.  The breeze from the morning had died down, so we didn’t need as many layers this afternoon.  Had it been a little earlier in the day, I think Mui would have gone swimming.  As it is, he’s still hoping to get a chance for a quick dip before we leave here.

I’m perfectly happy standing on the beach, but …

… Mui feels the urge to walk out to a sandbar.

White sand and blue skies … what a great combination.

I’m no good with these small birds, so all you birders out there need to help out with an ID.

We returned to the campground via an inland path that took us by a couple of the Fort Pickens batteries that overlook the beach.  I’m going to leave those photos for after we do a tour of the fort — maybe later this week.

Once back home, we didn’t stay long.  Picking up wool caps and windbreaks, we hopped in the car and headed out to Fort Pickens to catch the sunset.  It was a pretty sunset, but we didn’t get the riot of colors we enjoyed a few days ago.  Still, it was worth the short drive, and as a bonus, we had a very nice chat with a couple from Wisconsin who are in a different loop at the campground; they’re making a meandering trip down to Orlando and Key West.  Hopefully we’ll be doing that too — but next winter.

We’re not the only ones out here waiting for the sunset.
Brown Pelican

The setting sun had set the windows of this Fort Pickens building afire.

Though the colors are more muted, we still enjoy the sunset.

A local who was enjoying the sunset with us thought this boat was probably going out for bait.

It was a great day to be sure … and to wrap it up, here’s a sighting that really excited us.  This nine-banded armadillo did not cooperate for a photo op, scurrying into the underbrush when we came upon it.  But what I did catch makes a great …

The End!

Going Green with Oxygenics

Saturday, 5 January
Fort Pickens Campground — Gulf Islands National Seashore (GINS), Florida
Temps: Lo 44F / Hi 54F (7C / 12C)

Today was forecasted to be mostly sunny; with rain overnight.  We did see the sun, but it didn’t stick around.  It was out just long enough for me to go for a walk on one of the trails that can be accessed from the campground; and for Mui to go out for a trike ride.  And then the clouds moved in and stayed put.  So we stayed put, too.  I mean what’s the hurry right?  We’re not on vacation and we can take our time exploring all that the area has to offer.  Of course, that’s easy to say, but difficult to do for two Type A personalities.  We’re trying though; and making progress in the right direction (slow though it might be).

I clicked the shutter only once today; and that was to capture the sunrise from our site.

Seeing as how we’re practicing economizing our water resources here, I thought I’d post about a mod we made awhile back — replacing the shower head with an Oxygenics Body Spa Handheld Shower Kit.

The title of the post is a bit of an exaggeration as we can’t go completely green just by changing out the shower head, but every step towards conserving natural resources is a step in the right direction.

The shower head and all the accoutrements that go with it.

According to the literature, the shower head is designed to boost water pressure while saving up to 70% in water and energy consumption.  Works for us; we have noticed a definite increase in the strength of the shower spray.  The head is guaranteed “no clog” — so far haven’t had any problems.  And the makers promise that it will install in minutes — that was Mui’s experience … even with the addition of a shut-off valve.

Instead of using the lever to turn the water on and off, pressing the button on
the shut-off valve temporarily stops the water supply while showering.
Not only does this conserve water, but it maintains the water temperature.

The shut-off valve is mounted on the bottom of the shower head (the piece in Mui’s left hand),
which is then screwed onto the water hose.

The new shower head assembly with the shut-off valve in place …

… is reconnected to the water valve in the shower.  And we have success!

We really like this shower head much better than the old one we had.  So much so that when the condo management at our stix & brix offered to install the same shower head for free in every bathroom in the condo, we jumped at the offer.