Summer Vacation 2020 - Day 8 - Drive to Siesta Key

Today was our shortest drive of the trip.  Only 157 miles!   I figured on 4 hours to get there (spoiler, took almost 5).

Time wise, we could have headed right back over to I-75 and took that all the way down.  But as previously stated, I like staying OFF the interstate when an alternative is there.  Today we could get a solid third of the trip on US 41, and again a section of road I had not traveled before so that was the plan. 

We pulled out of the campground around 11ish as it wasn't a long drive, and check in was at 3, and we would avoid rush hour in Tampa.   Originally, today would be the day we were headed home, but we threw an extra 2 nights on the trip because I had the vacation time and well, why not?

After a quick stop for more gorilla tape and a bag of ice, we were off down US 41.  Was a nice drive and the closer we got to Brooksville, the hillier it got.  Fun for us Floridians the up and down and twists.  Of course this meant I was using my brakes more. 

We got to Brooksville and intersected US 98 and headed east to hook up with I-75 to motor through the Tampa metroplex.  As soon as we turned there was another black wall approaching (like the one the day before) but this one was even more menacing.  Good thing I bought more tape and applied it in Dunellon!

I had mentioned in earlier posts about topping off the brake fluid.  I had checked it in St. Augustine, and in Savannah, but I forgot about it at Rainbow this morning.  Up until this trip, I never had any issues with the brakes as they were all redone when I bought the coach.

Well it was still pouring and I was on a long downgrade that wasn't real steep but it was down.  I saw the stale green light and let up a bit on the gas as I knew it would change.  It did and I hit the brakes.  UH-OH!  The pedal is really soft but it doesn't go all the way to the floor and I am slowing down.....just not fast enough.  I yell out no brakes and try pumping it.   I'm pressing as hard as I can and while I'm only going a couple of miles per hour I go out into the intersection. 

Luckily, due to the rain everyone is cautious and they saw me coming and I hit the plane of the intersection just as the light went red.  I get it stopped with about 3/4 of the coach over the line.  I look around, no one is moving so I hit the gas and continue (wasn't going to back up). 

My first thought is to stop but as you can see in the video it is not good outside weather.  I surmise that as long as I drive slow in the right lane, I won't need any brakes on I-75 so I get on and start going about 50.   Everyone is going around me in the rain and that's just fine.

We drive in the rain for a solid hour until about Riverview south of Tampa and it starts clearing.  I make it to Sarasota and get off a few exits early as I know there is a BJ's gas station.  I come down the off ramp and  test the brakes.  They are bad.  I slowly roll up to the light trying to time it.

There are enough brakes to hold it at the light and I gingerly pick my way to the gas station.   I start pumping gas and pop off the Master Cylinder cover.   It is dry for the rear brakes.  I get some fluid and fill it up.   I was only stopping with the two front brakes instead of 6. 

I pull out of the gas station and park.  The pedal is a lot firmer, but not right (air in the line probably).   I check all over and don't see a big leak anywhere, but everything is wet from the rain.  We are only about 10 miles from the campground, so instead of driving through town,  I get back on the interstate as in the whole 2 hours from Brooksville I hit the brakes only once coming down the off ramp.

We make it to Turtle Beach Campground on Siesta Key without incident.  In fact, I made almost every light on the way there.  They had called us earlier so it was contactless check in. Pulled in and went right to our site #12.  Curiously, site #13 next to us was empty the two nights we were there.

 While we were setting up, I noticed this walking stick on the windshield wiper.  I alerted science officer Lucy who commenced molestation activities on it.  It climbed up the side and I went and got the camera.

 We were in good company and this newly minted Airstream was looking pretty stylish.

 View at the end of the campground of the Gulf of Mexico.  There were small waves and Lucy and I took turns groveling for rides on the Boogie Board.  I did manage a couple of half decent ones given the conditions.

 The campground had a couple of grills and a few tables for the campers to use.  It is a Sarasota County park and there is a public beach and parking lot next door.  Lucy has a cousin that lives in town, so he came over and we grilled up some dinner.  The corn on the cob you see on the grill was from Skidaway, we never ate it as we went to the beach that day and a deer stole one of the ears so we only had 4 left, so this worked out perfectly.

It was a beautiful sunset, but alas no more comet as just about the time it was getting dark enough, big clouds rolled in and shut it down for us.

The only drawback at this campground was no fire pits, so we went back to the coach as the rain came and we played a few games with Charley until bedtime.  He went home and vowed to return with his kids the next evening.