Winter, 2016, the beginning.....

I have been remiss in not blogging about all our travels, not so much because of our huge following (heh-heh) but rather because we rely on these notes to help ourselves remember some of these highlights.  John has an incredible memory for our travel detail, me not so much....so I rely on the blog to trigger more detailed memories.

First and foremost, Silver Spirit, the 2006 23' Airstream that we have been traveling in since 2007, and had intended to own FOREVER, has been traded in (sob, sniffle, cry some more!) for a 2011 25' Airstream, which allows us (1) the luxury of a walk-around bed (unless you have had to make an Airstream corner bed for 8 years, please don't judge!); (2) an extra foot of counter space in the kitchen area (SUCH luxury!); (3) a couch as well as a dinette area (which I didn't think necessary, and now LOVE); and (4) MANY more windows, so we are even more surrounded by nature's beauty, even on rainy and stormy days when we spend more time inside than outside the camper.
Meet Silver Spirit II!

It's amazing to me how quickly she has come to feel like home, but I guess once we move our own pillows and quilts, pots and pans, dog bed and other misc. stuff in, it IS home.

This winter's trip will be in the Florida Panhandle area, visiting some state or national park campgrounds we have already visited in the past, and exploring some new ones in this park-rich area of Florida, some on the Gulf, others on rivers, but always with water within reach.  There is something about water that draws us, always, not just when traveling.  

The places we have stayed on our way south are definitely not "destination" campgrounds for us, but rather places we don't mind spending a night, because they offer electricity, water, and a generally clean campground.  It has been sobering, while visiting these "pass-thru" campgrounds to see how many people call these places home.  An increasing number of these campsites are occupied by permanent residents, who live in campers (a significant step below mobile homes in terms of comfort, size, permanence), either because they are living a life that is dictated by transient work opportunities, or because it is all they are able to afford at this time.  It is often clear, based on how well people maintain the immediate area around their camper (flowers, fences, children's play sets, vegetable gardens in planters), the pride people take in these temporary or permanent residences.

We feel fortunate that we are winter gypsies by choice, and not by necessity.