Showing posts with label Ft. Pickens. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ft. Pickens. Show all posts

Sunday, February 8, 2015

We Continue to have Good Luck

Our next reservation was in Louisiana  but we had a four night gap between when we were leaving Manatee Springs and we could check in at Fontainebleau.  I had figured we would just wing it and find a place as we went, but we had a nice conversation with another RV couple while at the Springs, and they suggested we look into stopping at the Ft. Pickens campground in the Gulf Island National Seashore. I did and it looked like a great half way point, so I went online and got a reservation for the four nights we needed. 

The 337 mile drive is about as far as we want to go in one hop. We were on the road by 9:30 and arrived at 4:00. We gained an hour with the time zone change. We haven't had to buy much fuel for the Alfa this winter because we haven't driven very far. We were delighted to fill up for $2.49 per gallon. The Alfa is a diesel.



Craig and I have what we consider a very good system of shared driving responsibilities. We both drive the Alfa. If we have to go less than 100 miles, Craig usually drives all of it. For distances over that, we trade off so neither of us gets road tired. 

When it comes time to back the rig into a spot, we find it works best if I drive and Craig gives me directions on the walkie-talkie. Like most couples, we do what works best for us.

We have learned to look carefully for obstacles when the spot is tight. But sometimes things sneak up on us. This usually happens when the space seems wide open. 

After successfully backing into our spot at Ft. Pickens I looked around. 

EEK! I had almost hit a good size tree branch with the back corner of the Alfa. I definitely could not have seen it from the driver's seat, and Craig had not seen it because he was on the driver's side. 

Hopefully, writing about this "almost" impact will help us remember to watch all eight corners of the rig, and take a better look for potential dangers before backing in. Even when it feels like we have lots of room!

We were LUCKY once again!

After getting settled I noticed the sun was setting, and I went out to the road. I saw a boardwalk to the beach just across from the entrance of our loop. Sure enough, it was just a short walk through the dunes to the water.



Ahh! A beautiful sunset indeed! We are looking forward to some nice walks here in the next few days. Fingers crossed for nice weather.

And thanks again for the recommendation!