Another Hotel Night

We have done really well in NOT going to a lot of hotels: More money, more packing and unpacking. We are in Tampa; however, and we had dinner last night with my nephew Andrew and his spouse, Jack - a delicious Olive Garden dinner with wonderful conversation and laughs. It would have too late to set up camp at a campground, if indeed there was one really handy. Today, we are off to Disney for a few days. Last week? We camped at Fort Pickens off Pensacola. We were in an end camping loop and almost had the place to ourselves...Yea! We shared the area with an old man in a truck camper and a couple armadillos. It was a short walk to the Gulf Coast and lovely miles of beaches, but with winter waves and chilly temps I was not tempted to even stick a toe in the water. Next we headed toward Tallahassee and lunch with my retired teaching colleague Sue. She now lives in a retirement community with really lovely grounds and innumerable amenities (pool, dining room if you want it, fitness center, housekeeper, landscapers, etc). Her sister and a friend are also in the community. we also camped for a night at Florida Caverns State Park; it was a cold and rainy night, but the park is interesting and would be a grand adventure if the weather was better and we were going to be there longer. There are caverns that one can tour on given days. Another two nights' camping at St George Island State Park, it was again, cool but better than in January. A retired educator had his telescope set up for solar viewing in the day time and the night sky after dark. He had a homemade solar filter. One can purchase a film and construct a filter to view sunspots. Yes, there were several visible. Along with the Gulf vistas, many long legged birds, mixed flocks of robins, towhees, mocking birds, there were two great horned owls calling to each other all night. February is courtship month for more than humans and Valentine's Day. we hope to have internet at Disney, which of course, costs extra. About the only thing one does not pay extra for at Disney is toilet paper. I will go on record that the Disney campground is wonderful, lots of campers, but well-run and spotless. Once there, you can get everywhere Disney with the buses, trams, boats, etc. Our friends Art and Beth, former Holliston residents, retired to Disney and are part time cast members. In a way, they open doors for us by advising about special Disney offerings and adventures. We love it all. The order of events is a little disordered in the above paragraph. Here is the sequence: Superbowl night in the motel, Fort Pickens N.P., Florida Caverns State Park, Tallahassee, St George State Park, Jack and Andrew and Olive Garden, Tampa hotel night and today on to Disney.