One Hot Lap Around the USA: Corvette Museum/factory

[Wake Bandits]

We're now in Destin Florida, West of Panama City on the panhandle.
We're camp'd on the sand on the beach.
The sand is pure white, a fine powder, absolutely beautiful looking out across the water.
A warm breeze flows in off the Gulf of Mexico.

Many people come up and say hello.
Local Southern folk from Mississippi, Alabama, and especially Louisana.
A nice change from the crusty east coasters.
They've camped here for 20 to 30 years they all tell us.
They all moved back a row when the park sharply raised the prices on the beachfront spots.
No one is boating, they just pull in and camp. That's it.

They usually want to know what Californians are doing here.
They notice our license plates:
"Don't you have beaches and Disneyland in California?" they sometimes ask.
I answer; "Sure, but the Civil War was fought in the South & East., and we have kin in Baton Rouge."

I then mention we're doing a hot lap around America, and they usually mention they'd like to do the same one day.
Often they mention Salinas Calif as a destination, so we'll have to review that furthur, that's a new one.

10 oz beers are the choice all around the campground.
"Yeah, we can get the 12 oz'ers, but we've always drank the 10'z. So the breweries specially can and send them here to select areas in the Dixie"- we're told.
Traditions die hard in the South.

When I was a kid, the little green 7 oz bottles of Coke tasted better than the bigger bottles, but compairing them in this case might be a big stretch.

We had lots of credits left on our WDW dining plan, so my wife went to the gourmet markets at WDW and Pleasure Island marketplace and cashed them in on food.
Really good food.
The RV refer and freezer is stuffed and we'll be chowing it for at least the next week.

Fireworks are serious in the South.
Even the supermarkets sell stuff banned in most the rest of the country.
Multi stage mortars, cherry bombs, brutal and beautiful rockets sold at fireworks stands seemly most everywhere in most the South.
There is always the one family that drops a weeks pay on Fireworks and a great show goes on all night.

The kids are rolling outta bed, so if weather permitting, we'll be on a days adventure in the Gulf of Mexico.

[Wake Bandits]

Today sends us west outta Florida to Baton Rouge Louisiana.
Wife has kin there and we'll stop by to visit.

Hangin' out on the beach in Destin, Florida was teriffic.
Boogie boarded with the kids, and went for a cruise & a Shrimp Fry with some friends we met a while back in Catalina.
Gulf water seem'd warm compaired to the cold water beaches in Los Angeles that will turn your feet purple.

The campground has two excellent pools. an excellent playground for the kids, and a singer & band atop a patio that was really good.

Lots of people just do laps all nite long around the park in their golf carts, stopping to gawk at anyone checking in. The gawking is unique to Florida we're told by the Louisiana folks.
Must be, we've never encountered it before until WDW, St Augustine and here.

Florida has many private beaches. Very rare in Calif, and no private beaches anyplace in Hawaii at all.
You can spot the Florida private beaches, they're empty.

Met lot's of Foreigners on the beach.
We've come to the conclusion in all our travels over the years the only foreigners in the world that will ever say they don't speak english are French Canadians.
They only say that because they think it's cool, but they do in fact speak english.
No one from anywhere else will ever say they don't speak it, foreigners will always try like hell to communicate.

Much stronger dog control at Southern campgrounds.
"Ya can't reason with drunks or dog owners" I was told once.
Starting to see no-dog campgrounds in the West. Fox's is a no-dog campground, but it's been happening here in the South for quite some time we're told.

It's either the barking or the owners not cleaning up after them that is the problem. Maybe 1 outta 10 owners will control their dogs barking and clean-up after them we hear.
That's pretty accurate I'd say from our experiences. Often the first chore at a campground when we check-in is cleaning up after someone elses dog.

WDW had mostly no dog loops, and very strict controls on the camping loops where they allowed dogs. A dog hotel was at the entrance to the campground, with a walking area with bags and shovels.

I missed one good pic in Durango. A sign said: "no second chances, irresponsible dog owners ejected first offense. They poop, you scoop."

Another weld has pop'd on a wheel so we'll be stopping off for yet another tire & wheel repair. Most likely when we roll through Texas.

OK, off for two days of mostly travel & visit kin.

[Wake Bandits]

Mac Book lets you edit photos, but when loaded to a host gallery, they revert back to the un-edited pic.
Let's see if we can change all that:


One of many tight passageways one must navigate at the Mesa Verde Indian Cliff Dwellings NM. Rotated 90 degrees. Not a place for those who don't like tight places. I drag'd my beer gut through it, you can too! 7 year old Maynard.


Tunnel leads to the Balcony room, 550 plus feet from the canyon floor.
Rotated 90 degrees.


One of several long ladders one must climb to enter the Cliff dwellings.
The bottom of the ladder/top of the concrete stairs is 500 feet above the canyon floor. Shear drop over the railing. Half way up you get the picture how hairy the location is.


Our 7 year old climbing out using the orig indian hand and foot holes carved in the rock cliff facing.
The chains and wires aren't guides to help you climb, they're a net to catch you when you fall.
It's a hairy climb, not for those who don't like heights. It's the only way out, no chicken exit.
Rotated 90 degrees.


Pic rotated 90 degrees. Wife about to climb one of several hairy ladders exploring the Mesa Verde Indian Cliff dwellings. 550 ft drop just inches behind her. If you don't have a head for heights, this isn't the tour for you.


National Corvette museum, Bowling Green Ky. This 265 is direct bloodline kin to the motor in your Tige'.
Should be called the National c4 Corvette museum.
Pic rotated 90 degrees.

We're in Baton Rouge Louisiana. Truck is at the Goodwrench dealer getting a bad exhaust leak fixed and an oil change.
Steamy, pure Cajun campground across the street. Nice swampy place, boats everywhere, I could easily live here.

Had Cajun dinner and Cajun music last nite at a place called Beaujacques Rouge off a steamy side street.
We skipped the barbeque'd ground gater gizzards in Pork intestine casing, and had some genuine ribs and shrimp.
-Though I did sample it. Tastes like Haggis.

Kids visiting kin.
100% Humidity, 98 degrees, sunny skys.
Water from the A/C is pouring off four corners of the trailers roof like garden hoses.

Next:
Texas to the Tige' factory, then:
On to Carlsbad Caverns NM to see the Flying Hamsters (bats) exit the caves at dusk.