Sebastian Inlet State Park

Our first trip in our new travel trailer was over to the east coast of Florida to Sebastian Inlet State Park, http://www.floridastateparks.org/sebastianinlet/default.cfm .

It is a beautiful location on the Atlantic Ocean.  There is a large fishing pier on the ocean side of the island.  Many people where out there fishing for a wide variety of fish that is available in this area.  The park offers beautiful beaches for sunbathing, swimming, shelling and surfing.

The campground is located on the Indian River side of the island.  Our site overlooked the water to the west.  Our neighbors were fishing along the shoreline each day.  They told us it is one of their favorite places to come to fish.

The sunsets were spectacular each evening.

Our main purpose for this trip was to go visit my brother and his wife who recently bought a home in in the area.  We have wanted to see their new home and get time to catch up on things.  We sat around the camper in the evening just enjoying the time together.  They took us to some of their favorite beachside restaurants in the area also.

Traveling with a pet is much easier with an RV.  Most good hotels and motels don't allow pets.  If they do, it is not the best place for the pet as they are closed up inside most of the time.  At a campground our dog, Muffy or Ruby, depending on you ask, gets to go on walks with us and she gets to romp around the campsite on a leash.  Like any dog, she is happiest with family.

My brother says he has had all the dogs he ever wants but the look on his face in this photo says to me there might be another dog in his future.  Dogs, unlike wives, are always happy to see you no matter what time you come home or where you have been.  When a dog smells someone else's dog on you they don't get jealous.  They are just curious.  Needless to say, I spoil my little Muffy.

We will go to this park again in the spring.  There is much to explore there that we did not take time to see.  There is the McLarty Treasure Museum,  Sebastian Fishing Museum and canoeing and kayaking on the Indian River Lagoon.  This park, like most of the great state parks in Florida, fills up on weekends.  During the winter season it is booked solid.  There are a few non reservable sites available but they must fill up quickly.  If you plan a trip to any of Florida's parks, it is best to reserve well ahead of the time you wish to be there.

Switching from a motor home to a travel trailer has been an adjustment.  Backing the thing up is much more difficult than backing a motor home.  I know I will improve with practice.  Space wise things are about the same.  There is no generator so if we travel out west with it, I will need to devise a way to keep my batteries charged when we boondock.  A small portable generator or solar panels my be an option.  See you on the road. :-)

A New Adventure Begins

We sold our motor home this past spring.  We had only used it a couple in the past two years.  We were tied down with family obligations for a couple of years so we didn't get to go on a great adventure across the country.  We had visited 42 states, 3 Canandian Provinces and that included a trip to Alaska.

Since we sold the motor home we realized how much we missed it.  We decided to try a travel trailer this time.

As some of you may have read, on our trip back from Alaska a couple years ago, our fuel pump went bad.  We kept stopping to get someone to repair it for us but all the shops turned us away. They didn't work on motor homes.  We were in a rural area of Kansas and Oklahoma when it started giving us trouble.  It finally quit on us in the middle of a four lane highway in Tulsa, OK.  It was a small nightmare getting it repaired.  It was also very expensive.  Some repair shops take advantage of your situation.  Had we had a truck or SUV we could have found service at any number of shops before it quit.  Hence, our decision to go this route.

We are still learning about towing.  There is much to learn.  Finding an adequate tow vehicle can be a challenge if you are looking for a used vehicle.  Most trucks and SUVs sold today are built for higher gas mileage.  The problem with that is the rear end gear is not good for towing.  It leaves you struggling on mountains.  Unless you find one where the person ordered the heavy duty tow package you will probably end up with one with the wrong gear.

Our Ford Expedition has a 3.31 gear.  It should have a 3.73.  We will try it the way it is and see how it goes.  If it proves to be a problem we will have the gear changed.   The SUV is better for our dogs.  They have their own little suite in the back to lounge around in while we travel.

We added a sweet little Bichon Firse to the family a few months ago.  Her name is either Ruby or Muffie, depending on which of us you ask.  Buddy, who is 11 now, is not too happy with her new canine sister.

Muffie, though small. is very dominant.  She will steal Buddies food right out from under her nose.  Buddy just looks at me like, "Did you have to do this to me in my old age?"  Buddy is so sweet.  She would never retaliate.  She just walks away and comes back when Muffie is occupied with one of her toys.

We will take our new rig on a test run in a few weeks to one of Florida's beautiful state parks.  So keep watching for new posts of or new adventure.