Wrapping up for Christmas!

 After we finished at Blowing Rocks, we tootled north on A1A to Hobe Sound.  We stopped for a few min there at the beach and walked down to the water.   We lucked into the last parking space in the lot as well.  As it was around 1PM and we were getting hungry, we headed out quickly and back to the campsite for lunch.

After lunch we hung out for a bit watching our camping neighbor struggle with his departure.   The campground hosts were helping him as he broke his ankle the day before riding his ebike (took a spill).   Won't bore you with the details other than he almost set his trailer and truck on fire by installing the trailer plug upside down (even though it is keyed).  I saw it smoking and disconnected it.  

Hugo went for a bike ride with us solo for the first time lol.

We found the smoldering remains of a controlled burn and Hugo had a photoshoot.   Two in one day, he is a busy horse.

Hugo complained he would be all stinky if this took too long.

So we aired him out on the dock.   Lucy got to see the elusive Checkered Puffer off the dock as well!

Sunsent Selfie with my bestie!

As you can see the wind was quite lax and the noseeums were out in full force.

So we kept pedaling around until it was trime to light the fire for dinner.

I pulled this lighter out to start the fire.   We had bought back in 2020 when we had a little grilling on the beach on Tybee with J when we delivered the Jeep.

Shrimp on the barbie tonight!

Tommy kept asking for snacks,, but i wasn't going to be a rule breaker.

We were leaving, but took a ride over to the consession stand and found out there was a boat ride up to Trapper Nelsons leaving in 40 min.  I already had the rig packed except for the bikes, so we went back and vacated the campsite and were on the boat with 5 minutes to spare.

I hadn't been up the Loxahatchee River past Kitchen Creek in decades and the weather was spectacular, so why not?

Trapper Nelson was quite the character and his 'suicide' is shrouded in doubt.   At one time in the 40s and 50s he had a zoo of local animals.

Historical marker in his compound.   You can read more about him here

Zoom in, this is the outside of the guest cottage where they counted how many hurricanes they endured.

Trapper's Jeep frame.   The body was rusted so, they rebodied it with a Fiberglass one and let the kids climb on it.   Had Pontiac Bonneville seats too from the 90s!

Nice boat ride back to concession stand, and a eventless ride home (thank goodness).

Thar she blows Cap'n!

 As winds were predicted to be fresh, I decided not to bring the SUP with us as it is a lot of work when the wind is honking.   As we had a car this trip, I suggested that on Sunday we go check out Blowing Rocks Preserve as it was only about 20 min away and I last visited it in the late 1980s.  

We had a leisurely breakfast and rolled out around 10:45.   One of the reasons I hadn't been back is it is not a good surfing beach, and parking was a big issue as there were only about 10 spots last time I was there.   Come to find out there is an education center now on the west side of A1A and much more parking  (opened in 1996!).   It was busy but not crowded and I marveled at the lack of traffic on A1A in season on a Sunday!

A rare site indeed!

Selfie in the coastal hammock.   I had forgotten that it is owned by the Nature Conservatory..

View looking south from the northern edge of the outcropping. I always love the silvery reflection of the sun on the water, makes for such nice photos!

View through an outcropping,  I love the color of the water in South Florida!

The sign said no photoshoots, but Tommy and Hugo are rebels.   I am waiting on the proofs from this shoot.

Another south looking shot.  This is the largest outcropping of Anastasia Limestone on the US Atlantic coast. The local residents donated a mile of beachfront property to the Nature Conservitory in 1969.   

The highest point is probably about 8-9 feet above the sand, this is looking north.

As it was mid day and as you can see quite sunny, we only spent about 35-40 min on the beach as we both forgot to bring sunscreen.   We didn't get burnt, but we knew when to leave.   That said we only walked mayber a thrid of the outcropping.

The boys chilling out on the high ground.   The surf was small so we only saw one small hole 'working'

Found this excellent 5 minute video produced by the management.   Lots of good detail, check it out!.   Makes us very happy to see pockets of nature that are still being taken care of.    Along with McArrthur SP on SInger Island and Hobe Sound NWR just to the north we are blessed locally with some pristine beaches.

View of the Intracoastal Waterway on the west side of the Preserve.   I am still tickled at how clean the ICW is here, same aqua color as the ocean most of the time and pretty clear..  This is probably 2 miles north of Jupiter Inlet.

We had more Sunday adventures, but going to bundle those with Monday as this was a photo heavy post.

Pre Holiday getaway

 A decade ago, shortly after we bought the coach,  We went on an early Dec camping tripand since then we have gone almost every year.   It's a nice way to glide into the holidays, taking some time off to decompress.

About a month ago I poked around the State Park website and found 1 site at Jonathan Dickenson SP just up the road.   It was avail starting Sat night (not Friday), but as  I was off of work the coming week, why not?

I only booked 2 nights as with the holidays,   things will ramp up starting Tuesday!

I usually pull out the coach and prep the night before, but as we had just made a trip 3 weeks ago, everything was in fair order.    I got up Sat AM and pulled it out of the dock at 8:30AM and we commennced loading..

Lucy had to work and would join me later.   My goal was to be on the road by 11:30.    Normally it' a 50-60 min trip in the coach as it's only around 40 miles of so.   I knew I had a couple of stops to make, ice, gas, and timer permitting Pleasure Tikis in Tequesta.   The owners are a great couple and we try to stop in when in the area.   Also, I was looking to see what new inventory they had gotten in stock.

Well, things went fairly well and I stopped in.    As per usual I was offered a cocktail, but instead, offered them one as I had batched up a weekend supply of my now infamous High Plains Drifter.    They joked that I was the first person to  ever bring them cocktails, so I have that going for me lol.

They liked it, and we chatted for a bit and then I headed out to the park (only 5-7 min away).   I checked in and got on the site around 2:45 so it took me exactly 2 hours to get there with all the stops, not too bad.    

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I got all set up and hung around thinking Lucy would be along any minute.    After another 90 min I locked up and pedaled toward the education center to see what was new there.   Of course, here she comes down the road.   I hand her the keys and continue to the center.   

 I''m there for about half an hour and decide to head back.   I get there and she isn't there.......So I pedal back to the center and sure enought there is Tommy on the porch lurking about.

I go in and ask about any Sunday Ranger activities but there are none.

We head back and Lucy's friend is in the area and stops by right as it was getting dark and I had just lit the fire to create a bed of coals to cook our steak dinner.

She hangs out and when the fire was ready from cooking, she took off and went home (about 20 min away) as her hubby was waiting for her.

Dinner was great and we burned a few more logs after dinner and turned in for the night....