Part 5: Florida and Georgia

I picked Trish up in Florida a week ago! 

I'm muchly behind in my trip documentation. I've been wanting to connect to WiFi but have been thwarted at every turn, so here I am very very late in chronicling the continuing saga!

I made it to Dunedin finally on Thursday March 20 and got a couple days RnR.

I was happy to reunite with Punk.





We hit the road mid-day Saturday and traveled to Paulk Vineyard, a Harvest Host, in Wray, Georgia. We made it just in time to partake in a wine tasting.

They make wine out of the Muscadine grape, a grape that is indigenous to the South.

The wine is sweet. 

It's shitty.

OK, maybe I'm being unfair. I'm a California girl, surrounded by fine wine makers and wine snobs. I don't drink a lot of wine, but I like hearty, complex, dry wines. 

Muscadine wine was none of that.

But they kindly let us spend the night on their grounds. Thank you, Paulk Vineyard!

It was a comfortable, quiet night, except for the good ol' boys in their pickup, horn blasting "Dixie" and yelling "'Murca, fuck yeah!" on their way past. 





The next day, we went north through Georgia, stopping at the place where Jefferson Davis was captured. The story is that he tried to disguise himself as a woman and was captured in women's clothing. The truth is more nuanced, and if you are interested you can read about it elsewhere. 






During the scuffle, two Union soldiers were killed in friendly fire. 



We next made our way to FDR's "Little White House" in Warm Springs, Georgia. He loved it there! He took the warm spring waters to treat his polio, and he built a house there, which acted as his "Little White House." 

He loved children, and he invited children stricken with polio to swim and play with him in the warm spring waters as well. They called him "Rosey."

Who knew? I didn't.

He spent a lot of time in Warm Springs, Georgia, and it is where he died.

I came away with a lot more knowledge and respect – if that was even possible – for the great man who led our country from 1933 - 1945.

Photos!

One of FDR's cars

Some of his mobility equipment. He tried to hide his polio-induced mobility difficulties from the public, most of whom didn't know or pretended not to know about his physical difficulties.

The last car he drove, with hand controls (below) that he designed himself.


FDR also traveled by stagecoach

And when he walked, he used a cane. These are some that were sent to him from the public. 





The Little White House



The famous unfinished portrait. He was in the process of sitting for it when he died. 



FDR died in this bed

We made our way to this nice mini-farm home in Ringgold, Georgia, where we had a quiet night with the chickens. I slept well with drip-drops of rain throughout the night. I awoke well-rested, despite my fretting about finding new tires the next day (to be continued...)!







Part 4: Trekking through the Gulf States

I took off from Austin, and I took a couple days to skirt around the Gulf of Mexico. I enjoyed the drive! I had perfect weather. 

You can't leave Texas without stopping at Buc-ee's!


Twice!

Snacked up!

I made it to Lousinana in good time and stayed at at Boondockers Welcome spot on Bayou Teche in the small town of St. Martinville. It was a quiet, tranquil spot.






Ah, the days of repairable TVs and a good business to have....

Morning tea with a view

I left Louisiana with an eye toward lunch. Last year, Trish had found a spot in Gulfport, Mississippi and we enjoyed it muchly. So, I set the GPS to take me there again. Why not?

Seafood boil at the Shrimp Basket! Sweet tea too!

You can't leave Alabama without stopping at Buc-ee's. Yanno, cuz you need to top off your gas, pee, and get the snack you forgot the first two times.  

My stop for the night was in Pensacola, Florida, at a brewhouse. It was a Tuesday night and it was quite quiet. I enjoyed the beer though!


 
Poppy and I were in good company!

Bye, Doc's!

The next morning, I visited the Naval Air Museum at Naval Air Station Pensacola.

Sopwith Camel. Where's Snoopy?


Corsair. Where's Pappy?

Fat Man. Where's Oppy?

Climbed in the cockpit.....



Top Gun

Abort! Abort!

Three men floated 1000 miles for a month in this raft without food and water before they were rescued.

  I was a couple weeks too early for Blue Angels practice session.





Then I drove to the Tallahassee area and stayed at a farm. That was a kick! 



This baby was born last spring and was rejected by her mother. He was bottle-raised. He sucked my fingers. 💗

Henry and his sister





This ol gal didn't want me to leave

Saying goodbye


This boy was shy and didn't want kisses.

Drove down the coast of Florida and stopped for lunch alongside the Suwannee River.

Blackened grouper sandwich



Next stop: pick up Trish and head back northward!