Eglin AFB…The Air Force Armament Center

 

March 13, 2014

I have to recall Thursday morning, before leaving Eglin AFB. We stopped to visit the AF Armament Center museum. I knew Eglin had a very large bombing range covering 762 square miles of land and another 860 square miles of ocean to use for live fire and training of all types of aircraft and munitions. What I didn’t realize is how much testing and development of armaments they did here. It has a history going back to the 1930’s all the way up to the recent Iraq and Afghanistan wars. I actually got to touch a bunker buster bomb similar to the one that they used on Saddam headquarters in Bagdad. The bunker buster bomb was developed here at Eglin in 28 days, just before the Iraq war. There are so many bomb displays in the museum, each with a specific task.

The outside of the building has many aircraft on display. From the B-25 Mitchell that was used to bomb Japan, soon after Pearl Harbor, to the U-2 that flew at 80,000 feet over Russia.

I immensely enjoyed my visit. Helen is such a good sport about letting me do my thing at military museums. 

We left just before lunch and made our way out of Florida into Alabama. Of course, Alabama is a narrow state on the Gulf side.  The great Battleship Alabama was visible as we drove past Mobile. It didn’t take long before we entered Mississippi. We had planned to find a Geocache in this state as it was a missing state on our souvenir board. The Visitor Center was our first stop. I knew from my research that a cache was in this area. We fired up the Garmin GPS with coordinates and soon were heading for the woods. It was a short time later, that we found the cache and signed the log sheet, another state off of the list!

Onto Louisiana for the night. A town called Slidell with a Cracker Barrel was our destination. This one had a Wal-Mart across the street. By night fall, we noticed four RV’s across the street, but we were the only ones at Cracker Barrel. (Brand Loyalty you know)

Today was another travel day, mainly due to the weather. The front is moving east and we were better moving west and get the rain behind us. So, tonight we are just outside of Houston, TX in a place called Baytown. It is with regret that we didn’t stop in to say hello to our friends Sean and Lee in Houston. For some reason, we kept seeing signs saying that I-10 was closed in Houston. Maybe a accident or something? We don’t know, but we didn’t want to get tied up in detour traffic. The other reason is that we have to be in New Mexico for the marathon race. We both volunteered to help with this event. If Sean and Lee read this blog episode I wish to apologize for not stopping in to say hello. 

That is what we saw and did!

The Air Force…Tyndall and Eglin…Home of the F-35 Raptor

 

March 12th and 13th 2014

The last few days, we have been moving and covering a lot of miles. Two reasons for this rapid travel: the first, is our voluntary commitment, to be in New Mexico for the Bataan Death Marathon (BDM) to cheer on our friend and fellow retired soldier Jerry D. ..at the end of next week. It is roughly 2,400 hundred miles from Key West to White Sands Missile Base. The second reason is the weather. On the eleventh, we dodged showers driving from Collier/Seminole State Park. No problem there, but after the front moved by, it was very clear, but cold. I recorded a low of 40 degrees during the night. It warmed up to 67 degrees by mid afternoon. We must be getting soft for thinking it was cold!

On the 11th, we slept at our old stomping grounds (AKA Cracker Barrel Restaurant). By morning we had the company of four other RV’ers in the parking lot. That day we logged 344 miles. On the 10th, 246 miles , 286 miles on the 12th and a misally 109 today. That leaves about 1,400 miles to go.

Enough of the stats! Forty nine years ago, I had just returned from Vietnam and was stationed at Ft. Rucker, Alabama. I got in the routine of coming down the 100 miles to Panama City for the weekends. I would load four to five guys in my pickup truck, charge them $25 a piece and shuttle them down to the beaches and bars. I wouldn’t baby sit them either. I would drop them off Friday night and say I’ll leave here at 5pm Sunday night with or without you. The city has changed so much, I didn’t recognize anything but the Gulf of Mexico.

As the title of the blog says, Tyndall Air Force Base, just south of Panama City, Florida is a very active base. The F 35 Raptor (our newest and most sophisticated fighter is based here). The FamCamp campground is located to the west end of the runway. The Raptors were practicing nearly vertical takeoffs. The power and noise of their ascent was astounding! I would run outside of the camper to get a picture, but they were nearly out of sight every time. I pity any enemy facing this jet fighter.

Today, we drove along all of the beaches from Tyndall to Fort Walton Beach some 109 miles. The day was sunny, but it never got above 66 degrees. It was a day to drive and enjoy the scenery. Oh, yes… spring breakers don’t seem to mind the cooler weather. Many kids were walking the shore line. The water is normally a beautiful turquoise color, but with the wind churning the water in the Gulf seemed to be more of a muddy brown.

We arrived at Eglin and checked into the campground office. They had plenty of room. They also have two campgrounds on base. We selected the one down towards the marina. It is a nice place with all the utilities including cable TV. This evening we walked along the bay. It was getting cooler, but the nearly a full moon was worth our walking exercise for the day.

That is what we saw and did! 

Collier Seminole State Park

 

March 10, 2014

On Monday morning our departure from Key West was around 8:30am. We easily met our goal of reaching Collier Seminole State Park some 246 miles down the road. The ride coming out of the Keys was pretty uneventful. The traffic was light north bound.Everybody went home Sunday night, from the weekend. Oh, speaking of the weekend, it was the starting of spring break for the kids. Needless to say, there were thousands of them at Smathers Beach and Higgins Beach.  

We made a quick stop at the Visitor Center, at Everglades National Park, to pickup a hiking stick pin, . I’ll try not to lose this one, like I did with last year’s pin, which I never got to install on my hiking stick. Soon the Everglades where behind us and Big Cypress National Preserve was going to be our adventure spot for today. Big Cypress is on Route 41, better known as “Alligator Alley”. We both had our fill of seeing Alligators last year and wanted something a little different. At the Big Cypress Visitor Center, we talked to the Park Ranger at the desk. I asked her if they were having a forest fire demonstration out back?  “No” she said. They are training guys for a control burn later this spring. I asked here what could we visit in Big Cypress that would be different then watching alligators. She said, “If your going to spend the night, I would recommend going up to Collier/Seminole State Park, get a camping site and than drive back three miles to “Marsh Trail”. There you could walk the trail along the headwaters of Black Water river. There is plenty of wildlife and the special thing is to watch the hundreds of Ibis birds coming in and roosting for the night”.

Now last year we did a walk into the Everglades at night to watch the alligators feeding. I was a little leery, not so much of walking into, but coming out at night. “Oh well, adventure is what it is all about…lets go, Helen…you lead the way”. We were in the truck getting the camera stuff ready when I noticed a couple in the back of the camper taking a picture of “Baby Boomers on the Move”. They liked the logo and said they were close to retirement also. We walked together taking pictures of birds here and there. We also noticed a 10 foot Alligator in the river. Now, the interesting thing about the trail, was that it was clear of brush and plenty wide, but one could see these well marked trails that the gators had been using to cross from the river to the swamp side.

Luckily we met a “Birder” gentleman who gave us directions where to go and what to see. A short while later, we were standing on a two story tower with a perfect view of the sunset and the roosting birds. By the time we walked back to the camper, it was just getting dark. Sorry to report no encounters with alligators! Back at the campground we did see pictures of two panthers that were running around the lower part  of the campground early last week.

Time to retire for the night. What a nice start to our travels out West!

 

That is what we did and saw! 

Key West…The Final Day

 

March 08, 2014

It had to come to an end sooner or later, but our stay here in Key West has been a memorable one! We have explored many nooks and crannies with many more to go. If we do come down here next winter, Helen, will most likely volunteer in so form or another. I will probably follow her lead and also do something to help the community. Believe me, that volunteering is not because of boredom, but a need to give back to the people of Key West.

This morning (Saturday morning), I’m using my powers of observation. The Coast Guard main gate will be closed from 10am to 2pm. They have been putting up a large tent at the end of the Coast Guard pier. Now that could be for many reasons, but here is my theory. This morning on Public Radio we heard that President Obama was in Miami talking to a high school class. I’ve got a gut feeling that he will be here in Key West some time today. The campground is on Trumbo Point, but we are also one gate away from the Coast Guard main base.

Yesterday morning, “Good Morning America” was here in Key West. Actually, the weather portion of the show was from down here in Mallory Square. Many RV’ers here in the park got up early, 6am or so and headed down there to be on national TV. We actually didn’t find out until everybody came back.

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March 08, 2014

Time is now 4:30pm and I’ve got an update on the secrecy over at the Coast Guard Pier. At mid morning, things started to happen over on the pier. From the top of the channel bridge, I could see cars coming to the pier and being checked at two check points. I also noticed a rental RV parked close to the channel bridge abutment. Two young men with light beards are hanging around. A few minutes later a helicopter makes an appearance and takes a sharp turn after a fly over. It was a news chopper. Ok, I now know something is happening over on the pier. Dave a neighbor, found out that the Coast Guard is going to have a new Class “C” cutter christened. Who’s coming is now the question? Is it President Obama? Sure enough, he shows up and everybody leaves…Just kidding! The christening went without a hitch. Whoever the dignitaries were came and went without incident. That is the end of my conspiracy theory! I’ve been reading too many spy novels!

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March 09, 2014

As of last night, I have logged 152 miles on the bike odometer and averaged three to six miles of walking as measured on my pedometer. Hopefully, I will be able to continue exercising as we travel west. Maybe, I’ll get the exercise in a hiking mode as we visit the National Parks.

Our stay in Key West will remain in our minds for a long time!

That is what we saw and did!

Key West…The Storm!!!

March 06, 2014

Thursday morning was a normal day in Key West. I started early with my power bike ride around the island. It was an uneventful ride, with the only exception that I didn’t take a break at the five mark for water. I wanted to push and get probably one of the last workouts in Key West this winter. I was back at the camper at 8:45am. Helen wasn’t even gone to her Yoga class.

Photo by others

Ironically, I didn’t even have a subject or theme to write about on the blog. I just milled around most of the morning reading the literature I had picked up on the National Parks that we would be visiting next month in Utah.

After lunch, we noticed that it was getting exceptionally hot even in the shade. Around one o’clock, a neighbor came over to say that a Tornado watch ( I emphasize Watch) I turned on the laptop and checked out the radar maps. “Ah”, I said to my self, “the storms are well to our North” and with the wind coming out of the South, I assumed that we were in no danger. At 2:15pm, another neighbor came by along with Marcia, the camp host, to emphasize that we would get hit with severe wind and rain in about 45 minutes. I went online again and this time a good portion of the Gulf of Mexico was in yellow and a leading edge of red. It was drifting south towards us! Now was the time to act! We picked up the canopy, the floor mat and all loose stuff around the camper. Glancing over to the Northwest, we could now see an ominous black cloud off in a distance. The wind went from nothing to 15 to 20 knots. All of a sudden, I was thinking that putting the camper back on the truck might not be a bad idea. I powered up the four electric jacks and moved the truck into position. It was nearly a record breaking time for loading the camper onboard! I secured the hold downs and then lowered the jacks to the ground. I figured that the whole rig made for a 5 ton package. It was the best and only thing I could do. I asked Marcia if a Tornado did come by, what was the assembly point or shelter we should go to? She said, “I think the concrete block restroom building was the best and safest place to weather the storm”. At this time, our neighbor to our left and I started to help our other neighbors who were not home. We picked up chairs, flower pots, tables and just about anything that could fly away. In reading what to do in an event of a Tornado, the commentary emphasized that flying objects were the greatest hazards to one safety.

The wind and now rain were upon us. Nearly instantly, it was pouring! The limestone ground doesn’t absorb very much water and soon the water puddles were becoming small lakes. The camper was rock steady! We could actually keep the back door open and watch it come down from the opposite direction. At least, we could do this until the water volume on the roof was such that it started flowing towards the back door area. Fortunately, even with a driving rain we had absolutely no leaks in the camper. It rained from around 3pm to 7pm. That is just how long the tornado warning was posted for. We personally survived the storm without any damage. About a dozen RV’ers did have their canopies ripped and some minor damage to other camping accessories.

That is what we did and saw!

Key West…Sadness and Joy!

 

March 04, 2014

The sadness is getting stronger as we only have less than a week to enjoy this tropical land. Every day our new found friends are leaving for points north. When we arrived here at Trumbo Point every possible campsite was filled. Sites are starting to open and more open grass is evident. It is the friends that we’ve made that makes it a little sad that we are leaving.

We’ve already been contacted from our Key West neighbors who have traveled far from here. They had commitments of one type or another, hence their departures from the end of US Route One. Our turn is coming next Monday morning. My mind is building with excitement and anxiety. Things I want and have to do, but that’s always the way when we are getting ready for another adventure. We have learnt so many valuable bits of information from our vast pool of travelers around us. I can definitely see why so many people have sold their homes for a life of travel. No, I am not prepared to sell my home in New Hampshire, but, God willing, we will certainly do more traveling as long as we are able to. It is a great life and the people who become friends along the way make it worth while. We’ve met a lady who traveled fifty years with her husband until he passed away. She didn’t stop even after his death. She’s in her eighties and still drove their 35 foot RV down here to Key West. She is of Italian decent (the old country accent) and has traveled literally all over the world with her retired military husband. She has a cute nickname “Pokkie”. We met her one night on the Coast Guard pier watching the sunset. She said, “People don’t take the time to watch the sunset like they use to”. Helen and I have been going to this secluded pier nearly every night, not only the sunset, but for the twilight. A sliver of moon followed by darkness above with a shimmer of pale orange down to the ocean’s horizon. I can’t really describe in words what really transpires. I wonder about the sailors and explorers of 200 plus years ago viewing the same scene. Oh well, time to stop dreaming and start planning the next sunset, maybe out west.

That is what we did and saw! 

Key West…The Aromas of the Keys!

 

March 2, 2014

One of the spinoffs of riding my bike around Key West is the “Aromas”. Yes, there is more than to the old saying “Slow down and smell the roses”. When riding my bike around the circle tour of the island, especially, if the wind is calm, I can smell a lot of different things. The first that I noticed was the different ladies pedaling on their bikes in the opposite direction. Most were going to work. The perfume really sensitized my nose. “What a pleasant scent from that lady. Oh, that one has suntan lotion”. These aromas were present all around my ten mile ride. This wasn’t the only aromas or smells encountered. The Burger King hamburgers were sizzling on the grill. (keep pedaling…nothing good for my body here) The smells coming from ocean next to North Roosevelt Blvd were picked up next. Not all smells were sweet and pleasant. Going by a Waste Management dumpster kept me focused on moving forward on my power ride. Soon, I was approaching the larger hotels. Here the sweet smell of flowers filled the air. On South Roosevelt Blvd, Smather’s beach was filling up with more sun bathers. Here suntan lotion rules in the aroma department. Great place to take a break and watch the creatures laying on the beach. Enough of a break, time to move on.

Approaching the downtown area, the aromas intertwine…some good and some not so good. Once in a while, a whiff of urine from a street person floats by. More restaurants and different cuisines produce appetizing wonders. The mopeds, buses, cars and trucks now billow their toxic aromas. I’m on the home stretch and back along the water front on lower Caroline street. The Coast Guard guard shack is now in site. Very little left to smell. Everything on the Coast Guard side is free from any smells at least at this moment in time.

Today marks a milestone for me here in Key West. My odometer, on the bike, has passed the one hundred mile mark! I am eleven pounds lighter than I was when we first got here! I am hoping to shed another 10 or so pounds before we head out to Utah in nine days. I don’t expect to be riding as much, if any, once we start moving again.  

That is what we saw and did!