Saturday 28^th February we left the Florida Keys and were not sure where we were headed next or even sure we really wanted to move on. It was early evening and we were all tired and found ourselves back in Homestead. We’d hated it the first time but we needed somewhere to stay while we worked out where to go next. Couldn’t face the horrible mobile home community we’d stayed at before, so this time we found a campsite on the other side of town surrounded by orchards and fields. We booked for one night thinking we’d make a plan then move on.

We woke on Sunday to glorious sunshine and the kids went off to explore and reported back that it was a ‘really cool’ campsite because of the tennis courts, shuffle board, mini golf, a pool and volleyball pitches. Despite all the facilities that would normally make it somewhere we would try to avoid it was actually a really lovely site. It reminded us of some of the European ones we’ve stayed in with loads of space and vast pitches. So we booked in for an extra night while we made a plan (sound familiar at all?!?!). The kids played tennis and we worked on our tans. Late that afternoon Susan and Charlie (our neighbours from the Keys arrived in the pitch opposite us!! The kids happily took their dog Raven for a walk again and raided their DVD collection. They were really sweet with the kids so we were really pleased to see them again.  We ended up staying Monday and Tuesday night too and finally left on Wednesday. The time had finally come to get back on with our trip and stop delaying and lounging around the pool and do some proper exploring again.

We couldn’t leave Miami without taking Frankie down Ocean Drive. Kids were desperate to stop as they were convinced we would see someone famous. But we didn’t exactly blend in with the young and beautiful people posing at street side bars and restaurants or wandering down to the beach, surf board under their arms. More importantly we couldn’t actually locate any parking spots approximately 38’ long. So we ooohed and ahhhed at the stunning art deco buildings and drove on through!!

We continued on Highway 1, which hugs the coastline right up and out of Florida, making that road our ‘route’ for the next few weeks. We spent the afternoon at a stretch of beach where there was space to park Frankie. Sadly it appeared not to be the top spot for the beautiful people. A weird lot of people most of whom seemed to have dogs with them. A couple next to us had 2 chichauaus whose fur they had sprayed bright blue to match their own hair. We spent a while jumping the huge waves and working on our tans. Only as we left the beach did we notice the sign saying it was in fact a Doggy Beach – brilliant!!

Next stop Fort Lauderdale which I’d read was no longer just a ‘Spring Break’ destination. Hmmm not from what we saw. We drove along the palm tree dotted promenade, full of runners, cyclists and skaters all wearing very little! Then a Cycle Bar pulled up alongside us – basically a semi circular bar in the middle of which stood a barman. Then a load of ‘clients’ on barstools that had a set of pedals by which they ‘powered’ the whole thing on it’s slow boozy route through town. By then we were looking for a campsite for the night. The couple we called near to the coast were all fully booked. So we drove on and gave in and headed in land a bit and found two of the most disgusting looking mobile home villages we’ve seen so far conveniently located opposite each other. Even they were full!!!

Suddenly our rather temperamental Sat Nav lady came up with a county park near by called Lake Worth. Called them and they told us they wouldn’t hold the 1 pitch they had, so we floored it and hoped we would get there in time. It was actually a really nice little park with a lake and lots of trails. We got there in time to grab the last remaining spot but were then told we couldn’t have our trailer with us.   After much explaining about why we needed it with us and then some begging the manager (on the other end of the phone) agreed to us having it with us just for the night. Hooray!! Totally ridiculous rule in view of the horrible looking vehicles and Fifth Wheel trailers we saw on our way round the campsite and into our spot. Our beautifully decorated Little Frankie is much more becoming than them!! Grrrrrrrr…

So the next day, Thursday, we set off again. Out of Lake Worth and onto route A1a which hugs the coast and is mostly on inlets that run parallel with the coast line. We drove through Palm Beach and ogled the massive compounds and houses. Bit more in keeping with our ‘accommodation’ at the moment we parked up at a Wildlife Wetlands Refuge, for lunch. Will forced us all to wander round the ponds even though there were signs everywhere for alligators and it was absolutely scorching hot. He was happy as he saw some sandhill cranes nesting. I was less happy as I stood on an ant nest and got bitten hundreds of times over by fire ants. Happy days!!

We had booked in to the Long Point County campsite on Sebastian Inlet as the State Park campground was fully booked and it was just nearby. These county campsites are a revelation to us. This one was great. On an island with a little bridge onto it. All the sites were around the outside so on the waters edge. We were parked up next to a convenient gap in the mangrove trees which framed our view perfectly of the small island opposite. Pelicans and herons and egrets all wandered around our site, quite tame. And most exciting of all a pod of dolphins and a family of manatees swam past our site several times each day we were there.

Friday we biked over to Sebastian State Park. Really lovely bike trail along the coast, through the mangroves to the park. We pottered about there on the beautiful beach and large fishing pier and watched the fishermen. Bought a load of bait and decided the time had come to let the boys loose on some sea fishing again. On our bike ride home William spotted an enormous tortoise. Before we could even stop our bikes John had thrown his down run over and picked it up. I honestly don’t know what possessed him (I don’t think he did either honestly). But it made for a couple of comedy photos before we insisted that he stop traumatizing the poor thing and put him down. At which stage the tortoise disappeared back into his hole at lightning speed – which was surprising to us all as I’m sure they’re meant to be slow?!?

Back at the campsite the boys disappeared off with their gear and positioned themselves on the fishing pier. We didn’t see them for hours and it was only when the weather suddenly turned and it started raining did we go and insist they stop. They were chuffed to bits having caught at least 10 fish. Most significant of all for us, well John really, was that they had done all that without John having to retie hooks, hook bait for them etc. etc. etc.

We would really love to have stayed an extra night here and then gone straight onto our campsite on the Space Coast on Sunday. But as with all Florida campsites they were fully booked! So on Saturday we set off again. The kids were up and fishing before we’d even woken up. It was a horrible cloudy windy rainy day. Well it was spitting a bit – but we resented it being in Florida (the sunshine state). The kids were wearing trousers and jumpers and SOCKS and everything!!

John and I packed up and then drove round to collect the kids from the jetty. We arrived just in time. Charlie was stood on the dock crying. A fish on the end of his line. Will had disappeared off chasing a blow away plastic bag (they are very concerned about the thought of a fish or bird being hurt by pollution don’t you know!!). Charlie’s fish being waved around as it was had 3 pelicans flying and jumping around right up close to him trying to catch it. John rushed down to Charlie, unhooked the fish, then threw it back towards the water but it went straight into a pelicans mouth. Oh!

We only drove 1/2 hour up the road to another campsite in Melbourne Beach. Not a very nice site but was only for 1 night. I was emailing my good friend Suzy back in the UK who grew up in the area we were now in and who was giving me the names of places we should visit. When she told me we were so close to her sister it “made (her) heart hurt!” we decided we had to try and see her. Our first stop on Suzy’s recommendation was to Moo’s Soft Scoop Ice Cream. So we stood on a very grey and almost cold day eating their yummy ice creams while posing for pictures to send to Suzy!!

Next stop was the surf shop Longboard House, where we got Will kitted out with some new trunks.  The very helpful teenage girl shop assistants were working a great number on us getting us to buy him 2 pairs due to some wonderful offer they had on. As he modeled one pair he turned and went back into his cubicle when I heard one girl say to the other “good toosh”. I nearly fell over and quickly pointed out he is in fact only 11 despite looking about 15!!

Sunday 8^th March we left our grotty campsite and were headed to Port Canaveral where we were booked to stay a few nights. On our way up there we managed to make contact with Sharon and Geoff, Suzy’s sister and her husband, who very kindly invited us over. Their neighbours all looked a bit shocked as we drove into their lovely gated community with Frankie and parked up outside. It was so sweet of them to let us invade them on a Sunday morning – they’d just walked in the door from a bike ride!! We spent a couple of hours with them, sat on their patio, telling them about our trip while the kids swam in their pool. It was so lovely to chat to them as we’d been on a bit of a ‘back to reality downer’ and talking to them gave us a boost of excitement of what we are doing. And Sharon is sooooo like Suzy it was like being with her, which was great as I do so miss my friends…

So we left Sharon and Geoff in peace and headed out onto the Space Coast and the last bit of Florida…