When I met Eric, I wasn’t a birder. I liked birds, but at best could only pick robins, jays, and crows out of a crowd. Over the past 16 years, under Eric’s patient tutelage, I’ve added to my repertoire, bird by bird. I love looking at birds close-up through binoculars and seeing just how beautiful […]
And I thought life in our trailer is tight. It always helps to get a little perspective, and our visit to an 1800’s Cracker family farm provided just that. Can you imagine squeezing a family of 14 into a four-room farmhouse? The sitting room was wall to wall straight-back chairs, and the master bedroom slept […]
When I told Eric that there was going to be a knap fest on the Ochlockonee, I think he envisioned hauling out his recliner for a snooze by the river. Although it sounds like nap fest, it was actually a primitive art festival, where people gather to learn and share their skills in flint knapping, […]
We’re not generally nervous while hiking, but our recent hike on the La Chua Trail at Payne’s Prairie had all of us on alert. We decided that hiking as a pack was the best approach. That way, no one would end up as lunch for a gator. During our first visit to Payne’s Prairie back […]
Finding reservations at state parks in Florida in the winter is a challenge. For many parks, you need to reserve 11 months in advance. Needless to say, this is a huge thorn in the side of spontaneous travel adventures. Without a reservation, it takes an equal measure of luck and determination to score a site—and […]
After leaving Cedar Key, we continued our adventures with our friends Judy and John by taking them deeper into the heart of Florida. They are excellent traveling companions, willing to experience anything and everything we came up with. We shared with them some of our favorite places, and discovered a few new favorites to add […]
Late last December we spent two days on Cedar Key, which was just enough time to pique our interest in this lovely and unique little island. Mid-February, we returned, this time with the opportunity to get the true “insiders” experience of life on Cedar Key. Our good fortune was the result of traveling with our […]
The only thing better than traveling full-time is traveling with good friends. Our dear friends John and Judy flew in from Ashland the first week of February, and we spent almost three weeks together exploring some of our favorite spots in north Florida. To say we’ve had a good time is a vast understatement. Rip-snorting […]
If you want to experience the “Real Florida,” you’ll most certainly find it in small towns in north Florida. This is also where you’re most likely to meet Florida Crackers, an endangered species of native-born Floridian. The name originated with rugged 19th-century pioneers who carved out a new life in the wilds of sub-tropical Florida. […]
On a blazing hot August day in 1972, I floated down the Ichetucknee with a boisterous group of family and friends, riding the spring-fed river in an enormous inner tube through six miles of wild Florida cypress swampland. It was a blast, and I’ve been meaning to return ever since. A couple of weeks ago […]
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If you enjoy hiking, biking, kayaking, birding, art, music, quirky towns, good food, and good friends—you'll enjoy traveling with us. Join us as we explore the backroads of North America—we love company and comments!