EAST BOUND I-10 MISSISSIPPI WELCOME CENTER TO FOUNTAIN FLORIDA AND TELL ME WE’RE NOT IN AN RV PARK WILL YA

WE CERTAINLY ARE ENJOYING SOME NEW SCENERY

I’m really liking these warm pre-dawn mornings as opposed to those cold desert nights.  Nice not having to have heat on in the coach every night too.  We rolled out of the Mississippi Welcome Center and John C Stennis complex this morning at 7:35 heading further east on I-10.

I WAS SURPRISED AT I-10’S LITE TRAFFIC AND AT TIMES IT SEEMED LIKE WE WERE THE ONLY ONES ON THE ROAD

Because it was Saturday traffic was lite and of course that is always a bonus no matter where one is.  We had clear dry roads, warm temps, and a semi-sunny sky with big fluffy cumulous clouds.  I am certainly enjoying this new scenery for a change.  Nice to see so much greenery along the roads and great expanses of water again too.

We rolled right on through Mobile Alabama without any problems.  Last time coming through Mobile the other way I remember traffic as being very heavy.  Anyone traveling I-10 through Mobile will pass through the underwater tunnel which is kinda groovely spooky.

HEADING STRAIGHT FOR DOWNTOWN MOBILE ALABAMA

NEAR THE DOWNTOWN AREA I-10 CURVES TO THE RIGHT AND DISAPPEARS DOWN INTO THE GEORGE WALLACE TUNNEL UNDERNEATH THE MOBILE RIVER

AT LAST A LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL

BREAKING OUT OF THE TUNNEL TO THE EAST WE ENTER UPON A LONG BRIDGE SPAN ACROSS BLAKELEY ISLAND AND MOBILE BAY

WE WERE SOON SOCKED INTO A FOG UNTIL WE REACHED THE OTHER SIDE

KELLY SPOTTED THE BATTLESHIP  USS ALABAMA IN THE MIST

WE CROSSED THE FLORIDA STATE LINE AT 9:50 A.M.

LEG STRETCH AT THE I-10 EASTBOUND FLORIDA WELCOME CENTER IN PENSACOLA FLORIDA

One of the great advantages for boon-dockers like ourselves in the Southwest is the availability of BLM lands to freely camp on.  Whether set up for a lengthy stay or just an overnighter lands are readily available to simply pull in off the road and shut things down.  Just as in Southern Ontario back home we are in lands now that basically offer no free BLM areas to camp on while traveling so we are having to get into this whole RV and State Park reservation thing which of course is something we are not used to doing.  Overnight prices for some these places are huge along Florida’s panhandle coast and of course site availability is virtually non existent at this time of year.

Had noticed earlier this morning while checking our maps that there was a Walmart and Crackle Barrel located in a place called Crestview Florida right on I-10 so we made Crestview our destination.  Cracker Barrel was a few blocks before Walmart so in we went.

COMING OUT OF CRACKLE BARREL GUESS WHO’S ON THE DASH:))

We had thought of overnighting at Walmart while trying to find a place to stay over the next few days.  Don’t think there was a flat spot in the whole parking lot for an overnighter so we stayed only long enough for half a dozen phone calls regarding a place to stay.  Finally located an RV Park that amazingly enough had a spot for us.  We didn’t know this was a long week-end for the American folks (Washingtons Birthday) so every campground was booked up.  The one we located was another hour and a half drive east on I-10 so off we went.  What a beautiful looking day it turned out to be and yes Florida I did notice how smooth your I-10 stretch of highway is.  What a treat after some of the stretches of poor road we have been traveling on these past 5 or 6 days.

We much prefer State Parks over RV Parks but with every State Park in the area being full we had no choice but to find us an RV Park and preferably somewhere in about the middle of the Florida Panhandle.  And by golly that is just what Kelly found.  We are at the Pine Lake RV Park in Fountain Florida just a few miles north of Panama City.  Coincidentally we are parked right beside an older couple from Oakville Ontario.  No idea how long we’ll stay here.  Maybe just tonight, maybe longer………..

‘OMG’ CAN YOU BELIEVE THE ‘BAYFIELD BUNCH’ ARE ACTUALLY PULLING INTO A CROWDED RV PARK…..NO WE CAN’T BELIEVE IT EITHER:((

FOLKS ON THE RIGHT ARE FROM OAKVILLE ONTARIO

HEY, THIS AIN’T NO DARBY WELL ROAD!!

OUR RIG IS EASY TO SPOT….IT’S THE DIRTIEST ONE IN THE PARK WITH ABOUT 5,000 MILES OF ROAD GRIME ON IT…AND WE WEAR THAT ROAD GRIME PROUDLY I MIGHT ADD

GROANER’S CORNER:((  Bubbles and Barbie, two blonde sisters had promised their Uncle, who had been a seafaring gentleman all his life, to bury him at sea when he died.  Of course, in due time, he did pass away and the two blondes kept their promise. They set off from Clearwater Beach with their uncle all stitched up ina burial bag and loaded onto their rowboat.  After a while Bubbles says, 'Do you think we're out far enough, Barbie?' Barbie slipped over the side and finding the water only knee deep said, 'nope, not yet Bubbles'. So they row a little farther.... Again Bubbles asks Barbie, 'Do you think were out far enough now? Once again Barbie slips over the side and almost immediately says, 'No, this will never do, the water is only up to my chest.'  So on they row and row and row, and finally Barbie slips over the side and disappears. Quite a bit of time goes by and poor Bubbles is really getting worried when suddenly Barbie breaks the surface gasping for breath. 'Well is it deep enough yet, Sis?' 'Yes, finally. Hand me the shovel.'

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“I have problems with math but with chemistry, I have solutions.”

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