I have decided the first trip with the new camper will be to view the eclipse. My friend, Chuck H., asked if I knew how to create a blog. I think it’s about time I learned!

We are ready to go! After weeks of outfitting the camper and stowing our gear, we are more than ready to go.

Fresh water springs are absolute jewels. I’ll be having a trip built around visiting springs, hot or cold, some day! After swimming, I sit and enjoy the majesty. I imagine Native Americans living here, centuries ago, in health and prosperity.

The first night, we decide to stay on Marty and Paula’s driveway in Lake City, FL. They kindly offered to buy us pizza for dinner- and after a game of Left- Right- Center!

Sadly, we were enjoying so much seeing Odette learn how to play L-R-C we forgot to take photo . The sweet memory, however remains. I feel lucky to have such a kind family.

Today is Susan’s birthday! A birthday lunch at The Bark in Tallahassee is in order!

We arrive at this beautiful place, and decide it is time to start making the flag we plan to fly for the eclipse.

Coe Landing is a beautiful, soft place. And yes, I am laying in the playpen. 😉 Since today is Susan’s birthday, we are having Molten Chocolate cake tonight.

If you want the recipe , let me know.

We linger a bit at Lake Talquin, and I’m so entranced by the sunrise I forget about taking a pic. There are hundreds of birds chirping sweetly, and a mist is laying on the surface of the lake.

We decide to check out the Florida Caverns State Park.

As I mentioned, we decide to stop and check out the Florida Caverns along the way. They start us off with a weird but fun little safety video that had lotsa y’all’s in it. In the video the ranger goes to a lot of trouble telling us to hang onto children so they don’t wander into the cave system. Note the little Homunculus on the lower left of the video. That’s a representation of a child, in North Florida, y’all. Tiny little cave men, all of them.

The Florida Caverns are the only caves one can tour in Florida. During the 1930s, in the Great Depression, the Civilian Conservation Corps(CCC) hired boys aged 7-14 to map these caverns. They paid them a dollar a day, plus meals. This work helped prevent families from starving- they were grateful to send these kids in.

I reflect upon a state of being so desperately poor that I’d be grateful to send my children into unexplored caves with a rope and a sketch pad.

The only stalagmite in the entire place we are allowed to touch.

When we arrive at Southwood RV, we are frazzled. The kids were pissed off all day, and the traffic on I-10 was terrible. Even rerouted, it was long and slow. When we arrived, a very nice man named Simon came by and helped us check in. He and Leanne live in a big Coleman right across from us. It has a nice porch and a big red umbrella. Hot showers in their clubhouse were a godsend.

You wanna know why they make babies so cute? It’s so you don’t leave them at a truck stop. To be fair, he seems to have a slight cold. This is probably because he spent the night in wet pjs a couple days ago. More about that later. 🙄

As we depart Southwood, Simon and Leanne stroll over to say goodbye. Even though he looked a little ominous when we arrived, we felt safe and protected in their little park. there are nice people everywhere we go!