Florida and the Sick Bay

Nine days ago a nasty bug got me and I have been laying low.  I am on the mend but himself and Raggie were good sick bay companions, Raggie laying at my feet and himself taking over the chores.  I still have plugged ears so miss a lot of what is said to me.  Himself has it now and he has lost his voice.  What a pair!

Cubi Bar Cafe at the Pensacola Naval Air Museum

We entered Florida just before I took ill but we found a nice beachfront campground to rest in.  Before settling in, himself got to see the Pensacola Naval Air Museum, one of the best in the world.  We enjoyed the Cubi Bar Cafe which is decorated with retired plaques left by squadrons commemorating WestPac tours, which were originally displayed in the NAS Cubi Point Officers' Club in the Philippines.  The tradition of leaving the plaques started in during Vietnam and continued to the base closure in 1992.

The first stay in Florida was at Navarre Beach on the panhandle, just east of Pensacola Bay.  The campground was on the beach and close to everything.  The beaches are really quite beautiful along the gulf.  I finally took the plunge and ordered fried cheesecake.  They were small bites and deep fried.  One was enough, cross that off the make at home list.

A small canal on Cedar Key

Our next stop was a totally out of the way place called Cedar Key, population of about 700.  Funky, quiet and a bit reminiscent of Vashon.  At one time it was the biggest port on the west of Florida and was known for its cedar pencils and brooms, brooms, brushes etc made from local "swamp cabbage."  They are the biggest producer of clams for the Florida market and the little local cafe has won the famous clam chowder contest in Rhode Island three times.  It was the best chowder I have ever had and we have some frozen in Bella.

We then headed south, still on the gulf coast getting warmer and much more crowded.  Today we turned east and started through the Big Cypress National Preserve on the way to the Everglades and the Keys.  We saw our first manatees about which I learned

         Manatees are large, slow-moving animals that frequent coastal waters and rivers. These attributes make them vulnerable to hunters seeking their hides, oil, and bones. Manatee numbers declined throughout the last century, mostly because of hunting pressure. Today, manatees are endangered. Though protected by laws, they still face threats. The gentle beasts are often accidentally hit by motorboats in ever more crowded waters, and sometimes become entangled in fishing nets.

There was also gator sunning himself right under the deck at the visitor center.