Part One: Fleeing Hurricane Matthew, Okeechobee, Florida

Tuesday, October 4, 2016

We were up late last night and again early this morning studying the course of hurricane Matthew very intently. It's still headed for Florida as a category four hurricane with winds around 170 mph.  It devastated Haiti and is ready to hit Cuba and the Bahamas before skirting the coast of Southeastern Florida.  At least two forecast models project the hurricane eye moving inland near Lake Okeechobee, while other forecast models show it tracking along the coast with varying distances from land.  It's due to hit our area in just over 48 hours!

Since Okeechobee is less than 40 miles from Florida's East coast, we would be well within the 170 mph wind bands if Matthew came very close to shore.  Also, recent rains have increased the water levels of all of the canals around our house and Lake Okeechobee is at the highest water level we have seen since we've been living here.  Also, the US Army Corps of Engineers has several projects underway around the lake to repair the aging dyke that surrounds the lake.  This spells DISASTER and we don't have much time left to decide what were're going to do!

Our local storm shelters do not allow pets, and there's no way we're going to leave Kallie behind.  So, we filled our gas tank, purchased extra water, and loaded our camper with enough food, clothing, and water to last several days.  We also took some things that we just didn't want to loose should our home be destroyed.  Within four hours we were on the road, but not exactly sure what our destination would be.  At first, I was thinking the Tampa area would be safe, but it's 2-3 hours from here.  So, we called one of our favorite campgrounds near Fort Myers to see if they would hold a spot open, and a very nice lady in the camp office took our name and said she would try to hold a spot since we were already under way.

The good thing about leaving early is there's no long lines for gas and the roads are not packed with vehicles evacuating the storm.  So, we made it to WP Franklin Campground located just a dozen miles from Fort Myers in less than an hour and half.

Here we are set up on site #5.

This campground is always immaculate and all the sites here are on the water front.  We are on the Caloosahatchee River, which is part of the Okeechobee waterway connecting Florida's East Coast with West Coast through Lake Okeechobee.  We have a nice view of this beautiful Spanish style home and I love looking at this boat!  Not a bad way to wait out a hurricane, don't your think?

As the sun started to settle on the Western horizon, these ominous clouds moved in and quickly brought use back to reality.  Matthew is less than 48 hours away!

If Matthew decides to make land fall in Southern Florida, we may not be safe here.  So, we must continue to pay close attention to it's track and be prepared to head out again.

Legion Park, Destin, Florida

Friday, September 30, 2016

Legion Park is on the far east side of Destin, and offers covered picnic tables, ample shade, rest rooms, boat launch, and a spectacular view of Choctawhachee Bay.

While we were here several people drove up to take in the view, others enjoyed their lunch in the shade of the covered picnic tables.  It seems to be a popular spot and is certainly one we will see again next time we are in this area.

Haugen Park, Mirmar Beach, Florida

Friday, September, 30, 2016


It is a gorgeous day in Florida's Western panhandle and we are driving just east of Destin looking for a Walden County Park with a nice view of Choctawhachee Bay (and please don't ask me to spell that again!).  Miramar Beach is located between Choctawhachee Bay, and the gulf of Mexico (it's as hard to spell as it is to pronounce!)

Haugen Park is really small but don't let the size stop you from visiting this quaint little piece of paradise.  It's so small that if another car drove up, it would be crowded! But, since no one else appeared, it was perfect.  Plenty of shade and a great view of the Bay in a nice quiet residential neighborhood.  It's a perfect place to sit and read a book while enjoying the great Florida weather and scenery.

Hey! I got the whole park in one picture...well, not quite

Here's the rest of it.  The pier in the background belongs to the neighbors.

So do these docks!

Such a nice park deserves a bigger blog.  But, these pictures said it all!

Sandsprit Park, Stuart, Florida

Sunday, September 18, 2016


After stopping at Juno Beach and Jupiter Inlet (Du Boise Park), we continued up the Treasure Coast to Sandpit Park, in Stuart.  This park has one really unique feature that is just not found in most parks any where.  It has plenty of shade, nice picnic areas, restrooms, and a beautiful view.  But, the real attraction in this park is the wild Monk Parakeets.

These little dudes never stop chattering and they love the trees in this park.  Monk Parakeets are not natural to Florida.  They are usually found in South America and can only be found in a handful of places in South Florida.  They eat the berries in these trees and blend into the trees so well that there're not only hard to spot, but even harder to photograph. They chatter constantly and never spent more that a second or two in any one spot.  By the time I spotted one and got the camera focused on it, it would jump off to another branch.

There's actually a couple of Monk Parakeets in this picture.  Can you find them?

This is an excellent picture taken by Randy. Now that you know what they look like, it may help you find the Monk Parakeets in the above picture.

This is a Pleated Woodpecker.  You may know him better by his stage name...Woody Woodpecker!

Here's a quick look around this beautiful park.

These boats are returning from the St Lucie Inlet.  We not sure why there was so many were returning at the same time.  Maybe they were hungry for ice cream!

Well, I guess we're going to be busy for quite a while because this is another park we definitely want to see again.  We never get tired of exploring these South Florida treasures, and Sandsprit Park is a place the whole family can enjoy.

Jupiter Inlet, Jupiter, Florida

Sunday, September 18, 2016


DuBois Park is a very nice park along the southern shore of the inlet in Jupiter.  It offers rest rooms. picnic areas, some shade, a beautiful view of Jupiter's famous light house, and great views of the Atlantic Ocean.

The Jupiter Light was built in 1860.  It's certainly seen a lot of boats pass by it in its 156 years!

This is the marina and you can see the ocean in the background.

The waters in this inlet can be very dangerous depending upon the tides and wind conditions, and  some boats never made it to the marina.

The Atlantic Ocean is on the other side of the rock barrier.

These folks are enjoying the shad and ocean breeze.

This was our first time here, but it's not going to be our last time for sure.  This a great place to relax and enjoy Southeast Florida.

Juno Beach Park Near Jupiter, Florida

Sunday, September 09, 2016


Juno Beach is a beautiful sandy beach located just south of Jupiter, Florida on the Treasure Coast's Southeastern shore.  This park offers many amenities including ample parking, wash rooms, life guards, a fishing pier, and plenty of fun in the Florida sun!  There's plenty of hotels and restaurants, within walking distance to the beach.  The fishing pier has some sections under roof to provide shade and extends out far enough to catch a variety of fish.

This sea turtle stopped by to say hi!

Kitty on the left and me on the right.

Our friends Debbie and Randy

We have been to this beach a couple of times and plan to return again soon.  If you like beaches, you'll like Juno Beach.  Our next stop is just a little farther north along the Treasure Coast shore.

Beaches in Fort Pierce, Florida

Saturday, September 3, 2016



There is several miles of beaches in Fort Pierce along the Atlantic coast line.  The beach we are at today is located just north of the Fort Pierce inlet and behind the Navy Seal Museum parking lot. There's a restroom facility as well as a playground area for kids, covered picnic tables and grills.  Our friends told us about this beach and what they enjoyed most is this section of beach has never been crowded.  So, if you like the feeling of having your own personal beach, this may be the perfect spot for you!

We arrived here at low tide which provided a great opportunity for shell hunting.  We found many interesting and colorful shells in great condition in no time at all.

These gulls are checking out the sun bathers

We are here on a holiday weekend and there's just not many folks here.

There's a few more looking towards the South.

The caution flag was up today so no one is in the water...well, except for the lone ranger out there.

We spent about an hour and a half and thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it.  This is a beach we will be returning to in the near future.  But, we have a few more beaches to visit first.  Stay tuned, there's more to come.