Summer2020: The Florida Loop
♪ I'm riding ♪ Riding, riding ♪ Riding in my RV ♪ My RV ♪ Wherever I want to be ♪ Because I'm free ♪ In my RV - [Robert's Voiceover] Hello, and greetings from the 305, the MIA. I hear some people still call it the magic city. Yes, Miami, Florida, but not for long. In fact, we're not gonna see South Florida for a while.
How long, remains to be determined Here we are mid June, 2020, June 18th, to be exact, just as things are starting to open up, and most people think the worst is over. This is right before they started backpedaling the whole opening up thing, just to put it in historical perspective. And today we're going to be staying at Gamble Rogers state park at Flagler beach, and this, this is almost in the bucket list category, so very happy to be coming here. - Bad, bad weather in Florida. What can I tell you? It's been raining all... It's summer in Florida, that's just the way it is.
In any case, hello everybody. We're starting a brand new adventure, a longest one with Minitini II, the new Micro Minnie, so... the longest one to date. Going north, North Florida basically, and one of the goals of this whole trip is to figure out how to work from the road, and how to be able to do it relatively longterm, so that's the plan and we're gonna enjoy a little bit if it ever stops raining, we're gonna enjoy a little bit too, so enjoy the ride. (upbeat music) (rain pouring heavily) We're gonna take a quick break because it's not fun driving like this let me tell you. (wiper blades ticking) One, two, three, karamba. (vehicle door opens) (rain pouring heavily) Whoa.
(door closes) Quick snack here. (apple bite crackle) Mmh. All right, it stopped raining for a little bit, and I have a tire. The truck says that this tire is a little low, so we're gonna put some air in it.
(machine roars) That sure was kind of low. By the way, this thing, must have, must have for RVers. We're gonna get break in the weather here, but it's gonna get bad pretty soon.
More rain clouds coming that way, and we're still not even halfway there. (thunder) I hear thunder. All right, here we go. (tailgate opens) Maybe they should make a hitch.
(objects clattering) where you can open the whole tailgate, (tailgate closes) while still hitched to the RV. Well, they do, it's called the PRoPride. (groans) (tailgate clatters) I'm not complaining, this is fine.
(tailgate closes) Maybe I'll get a hitch extension. (tailgate opens) (tailgate closes) You know, the one that has a bike rack too? Yeah, that one. (keys clinking) All right, like they say, on the road again. (upbeat music) - [Robert's Voiceover] Here we are, Flagler beach, as we cruise along A1A, right next to the Atlantic ocean. - Hello everybody, and greetings from Gamble Rogers State Park. Our first time here, and they do have some sites right there on the water, on the beach, but we were only able to get the riverside side of the campground, which we have a very nice Lake or a river right back here.
I don't know exactly what it is, and I presume that we're gonna be able to witness a beautiful sunset here in a couple of hours. (wind whooshing) Yeah, very happy to be here. (footsteps clanging) It's a very nice state park as Florida state parks usually are.
(wind whooshing) As we saw, it was a very rainy day on the way here, but right now it's kind of a beautiful afternoon, and it's not even that warm and not that hot, maybe because of the rain. And we're gonna be here for a couple of days. So today we're just gonna, you know, relax, chill here, we're gonna sit down here, have some wine, and I'll talk to you tomorrow. (upbeat music) - [Robert's Voiceover] It is so great to be here. Out in nature, so close to the Atlantic.
Tomorrow we'll definitely enjoy the beach, but for the rest of today, it's definitely going to be a feast for the eyes. Perhaps one of the most surreal and breathtaking Florida sunsets we've seen in a while. I'm sure the bad weather earlier had something to do with that. (crickets chirping) (Sunrise music)) - [Robert's Voiceover] California may have stunning sunsets over the Pacific, Arizona does have its own breathtaking desert sunrises and sunsets, but here, on the East Coast of Florida, we also have our own beautiful sunrises over the Atlantic ocean. (waves crashing) The calming effect of the ocean cannot be overstated, just sitting here staring at these waves as they crash against the shoreline. It's the best therapy possible.
Incredibly soothing and relaxing as if for an instant, all the troubles of the world disappear and seem pointless. This by the way, is the ocean front part of the campground. One of these days, I'm telling you, one of these days, let's go back to the RV and make some breakfast. There's this short trail here, it goes through a butterfly garden, actually.
(soft upbeat music) Let's continue on the nature trail. (footsteps clanging) - [Robert] There's another trail that way. Hello there. Hello there little bunny. Good morning. (birds chirping) Have a nice day.
- [Robert's Voiceover] It's coffee time, espresso for me and Ily is having her regular black. and we're getting hungry, so we're gonna make some breakfast. Let's cut some ham and salami, and one, two, three and four eggs. Some paprika, some black pepper.
- Let's go for a swim. (footsteps clanging) Nice campground. (upbeat music) - [Robert's Voiceover] And here we are. Fly pelicans.
(upbeat music) (waves crashing) - It is kind of cold, but nothing has ever been written about cowards. I'm going in. That looks nasty back there.
(laughs) - [Robert's Voiceover] Pretty strong rip currents, by the way. - What a difference huh, big storm, blue skies. (upbeat music) - [Robert's Voiceover] This is the ocean front portion of the camp ground as I mentioned earlier, and let me tell you, next time, we have to figure out how to stay here, and check out the pelicans. Fly pelicans. Well, you are not a pelican, but I'd like you too.
Hey, don't go away, I just wanna talk to you. Get you on camera. Don't be afraid, I'm not gonna hurt you.
(upbeat music) Fine, be like that. - All right, I'm making some burgers. (door closes) Look who is here. DizTraveler. This is the life I'm telling you. I'm gonna do the livestream here pretty soon in a couple of hours.
Almost ready. Mmh Cheers. - [Robert's Voiceover] Well, Eric went to explore on his own, and so are we. - [Robert] In the jungle. In the hammock jungle of Florida. (ominous music) Check that out.
Hello there. Who are you hiding from? - [Robert's Voiceover] There's the butterfly garden, but I think there's only one lone butterfly. (waves crashing) We decided to come back to the beach. Actually, we're just killing time until 6:00 p.m, that's when the live stream takes place, like every Friday, and it looks like it might rain.
(waves crashing) - [Robert] Hello there my friend. - [Robert's Voiceover] Hmm, interesting. - [Robert] Look at the butterfly. Look at the butterfly fly.
(serene music) - [Robert's Voiceover] Let's do the livestream. - Hello everybody. (metal clanking) Coming to you live from the First Coast of Florida, actually, and I didn't check the audio, does it sound okay? I'm making coffee, (metal clanking) give me a second here. I was gonna do it outside, but everything is wet. Rivari, hi, greetings from Finland, it's midnight sun here.
That's true. I was supposed to be in Alaska by now and I was planning on going this weekend to the... Hey, someone is trespassing here.
What's going on? Oh, look at that. - Oh, I got done walking the dog (Robert laughs) - It's DizTraveler, everybody. - (laughs) Koojoo, fooled ya. (Robert laughs) - Creech, I cannot believe it, that you so much for that... - [Robert's Voiceover] By the way, we do this every Friday at 6:00 p.m. Eastern,
and that is a lot of fun. (serene piano music) - Let's go for a little ride. (upbeat music) - [Robert's Voiceover] Well, good morning.
Late morning, actually. Let's go downtown for lunch. Mmh, it seems pretty busy. We want to eat at this place called the Funky Pelican, just because. Here we go. It's a little tight, but it'll work.
As you can see, it's a little cloudy right now, but I think the weather is gonna change. - Funky Pelican. Because you know, fly pelican, fly.
- [Robert's Voiceover] I guess the entrance is through here, right? (door opens) - Yeah, we're gonna have asked for a better table, let me tell you. We have a view of the ocean and, - [Robert's Voiceover] And the restaurant. - And we even have a view of the pier. And that's Ily right there.
- [Robert's Voiceover] Mmh, decisions, decisions. (upbeat music) Yep, I need to get me one of those. (upbeat music) - I've never seen a bird eat salad. We're having a local IPA from Ormond beach. I didn't catch the name, but it's very nice, citrusy. Ele had the jambalaya and I got the catch of the day.
This was definitely a nice spot to have lunch here with a view of the beach and the pier. And we definitely probably got the best table in the house. In any case, let's continue exploring Flagler beach.
Oh, they have a bar too. (engine roars) I guess it is a thing to write stuff on this wall. I sure was. Ily was too.
(upbeat music) - [Robert's Voiceover] I've always been amazed at how straight the East Coast of Florida is in this area. It almost looks manmade. (upbeat music) All right, let's go back to Gamble Rogers and enjoy the beach a little bit. It's turned out to be such a beautiful day. - So this is Gamble Rogers, Florida troubadour.
- [Robert's Voiceover] Check this out, it's like paradise. There's the Flagler beach pier way out there in the distance. (upbeat music) - We're pleasantly surprised by the beach today. Yesterday was kind of choppier and cloudier, but today, beautiful day here. This may be bumped up to top five Florida beaches, maybe.
I think so. (upbeat music) - [Robert's Voiceover] Let's go in a different direction, explore a little bit, but with a purpose. By the way, very nice condos and hotels here. (upbeat music) We're taking a little bit of a scenic drive here. It is called Highbridge road. And we almost came this way when we were coming here a couple of days ago with the trailer in tow, and I'm so glad we didn't.
Clearance, eight feet, six inches, because of the low hanging branches, I guess. Minitini II is just under 10 1/2 feet tall. It is a gorgeous drive.
(upbeat music) You know where we're going? Publix. We didn't bring the Berkey water filter this time, and we're almost out of water. (upbeat music) - We went to Publix because we ran out of water.
We have to figure out a way to put the Berkey in Minitini II somewhere, somehow. The Berkey filter. We'll figure it out. We'll figure it out. (upbeat music) Let me tell you something as I always say, there should be a way to streamline this process, like, if you're already in the park or if you have like an annual pass, there should be like a fast lane. There's no reason for you having to wait in there for two people to check in, but it is what it is, and luckily we're not in a rush, not today.
(upbeat music) Well, someone recommended this place called European village, a couple of miles North of here in Palm Coast, and it's supposed to be like an upscale mall with like, dining and stuff like that, so... gonna have dinner. - [Robert's Voiceover] It is about a 20 minutes drive up the coast, and about halfway there, we encounter Beverly Beach, and it's ocean front RV resort. And would you take a look at some of these ocean front mansions. Hey, in any case, here we are, European village. Fine restaurants and shops.
And this is it. I guess it is condos all around it, which seems convenient, although I don't know if I would like to live next to a courtyard with live music all the time. (people conversing) - It's very pretty. (soft music) - [Robert's Voiceover] As I mentioned, they have live music, and you know, that's always a plus in my book. - Cork and pint, I like that name.
- [Robert's Voiceover] It is pretty. I'm not sold in the whole concept, but it is pretty. (people conversing) Well, if you know us, you know we're going to the brewery. - Tidal lock IPA. - [Man's voice] No, it's right there. - [Man's voice] My brother.
- So many choices. - [Robert's Voiceover] Here's the IPA and some fish dip as well, something light. (smooth jazz music) - All right, that was a nice fish dip.
Now let's go somewhere. And very good IPA, by the way. And now, let's go somewhere else. - [Robert's Voiceover] We're getting pretty tired, so I think that somewhere else is going to be the camp ground. - Well, good afternoon. Really, we had a late start here today.
You know, working a little bit, we have some CDs and stickers to ship, and just gonna explore a little bit, you know. There's a plantation nearby, and then we're gonna have some lunch, some late lunch. It is Fathers Day by the way, so things might be busy around here, or busier. We'll see. - [Robert's Voiceover] We're once again, taking that scenic Highbridge road.
Let me tell you, this has to be white knuckle drive. If you're coming in an RV. I betcha, he didn't see the low clearance sign, and Google maps will route you this way every single time. One more reason not to follow the GPS blindly, you still have to look at the signs. This is called Bulow Plantation Ruins Historic State Park, and it is the ruins of a sugar and cotton plantation destroyed in 1836, during the second Seminole war.
We have to go about a mile on this narrow road, which certainly adds to the experience of being in a remote location. Entrance to the park is $4 per vehicle, and it works on the honor system. - It was $4.
I gave them five because I didn't have singles, so they got a dollar tip from me for the few minutes we're gonna be here, but (laughs) it seems to be nice. Let's check it out. I don't think this is part of the ruins, but it definitely seems to be in a ruinous state. - [Robert's Voiceover] Actually, I do believe that may have been part of the plantation house. This here, the Halifax river, very nice recreation area.
Here's a picture of how the house would have looked back in the 1820s. Here's the replica of a device used for Indigo production, a rare blue dye extracted from the leaves of certain plants, and what a beautiful place this is. Florida, all come palm hammock forest. This would have been a slave cabin, what's left of it? - The only thing left is part of the chimney. It's probably that right there, right? Not much else left here. - [Robert's Voiceover] Let's go see the sugar mill.
(ominous music) Check this place out. It looks like some ancient ruin lost in the jungle. It has a certain mysterious quality to it, doesn't it? Making it look much older than it really is, like part of a lost ancient city. Apparently, this was the largest sugar mill in Florida at the time, from 1820 until 1836, when it was burned by the Seminoles.
Let me tell you something. This place is so photogenic that I just can't help myself. Everywhere I point the camera I find something wonderful. My first thought, when I see this place, I imagine I'm visiting some ancient ruins lost in the jungle, like Tikal in Guatemala or something like that, that's just the feeling I get.
This was amazing. Now let's go and mail some CDs and stickers, you know, my weekly visit to the post office. - I'm done with my weekly shipping of stickers and CDs. Now let's get something to eat.
- [Robert's Voiceover] Ever since we arrived a couple of days ago, we've been intrigued by this place called Finns. And I believe upstairs is where we want to be. It should be a nice view of the beach and the pier, the ambiance. (serene music) Oh yeah, this is nice.
And there is live music. ♪ We offer this to you ♪ Do I feel good - Cheers. - [Robert's Voiceover] Yep, having a local IPA because that's what you do. Too bad we were so far away from the band. ♪ You should have said no Got the shrimp wrap, which is okay, but we really came here for the view. Up until now in my experience, I don't think Flagler beach would earn any culinary awards, let's face it.
It is bar food, but it definitely seems to be a fun party town, and the setting is idyllic, if I may say so myself. And the food, it's okay. It's not bad, but you know what I mean. That's where we ate yesterday. That very table on the corner.
The band just finished, so that's our cue. Let's go somewhere else. - All right, that was pretty good. Great view here of the Flagler beach They did screw up the order a little bit, but it is what it is. We came mostly for the beer and the view.
I wanna check out this other place here. Seems nice. - [Robert's Voiceover] This is called Tortugas and it seems to be pretty packed, but I'm sure we'll find a table somewhere. (upbeat music) - Cheers, it's rum runner.
- [Robert's Voiceover] Yeah, the rum runner always reminds me of the Keys and the place where it was invented, the Holiday Isle Tiki bar. And we're having some fried calamari as well, really good. (waves crashing) - Bottom line, none of the experiences were perfect, but overall, I really like this place. Flagler beach, definitely a place we will return to. I like the vibe. I like, I don't know.
There's something about it. And as far as beaches go. As far as we're talking about the East Coast of Florida, this might be one of the best.
- [Robert's Voiceover] All right, High Tides here, less than a mile away from Gamble Rogers, walking distance. - Good vibes, High Tides. Let's go. (people conversing) (bell dings) - [Robert's Voiceover] Here we go, oceanfront dining. How about we end our day with a leisurely stroll along the beach? (waves crashing) (serene piano music) (relaxing music) - [Robert] Good morning and greetings from Flagler Beach.
Today, we're going a little farther north, but what better way to begin the day than a beautiful Atlantic sunrise. (waves crashing) (soft music) Yeah, these never get old. Look who came to visit. Hello there.
Good morning. As I said, the plan today is to go just about 30 miles north. We're going to be staying at Anastasia State Park. Been there before once a couple of years ago with my mom actually, and back then I was only able to stay one night. But now we're staying for three whole nights. And of course, we're going to visit St. Augustine,
which is the oldest European settlement in the United States. It is such a cool and scenic drive, this part of A1A right here next to the ocean. And this road generally hugs the entire east coast of Florida, but the ocean is not always as close or as visible as in this segment right here. And we're enjoying such perfect weather. (bright music) Here's an area where the road goes a few feet inland to accommodate for these oceanfront properties. Yeah, some of these are very nice.
And here's another bucket list Oceanfront RV park, Beverly Beach Camp Town. One of these days, one of these days. Here's also Flagler by the Sea RV park and more lavish oceanfront mansions. This body of water here to the left, the Matanzas River.
And this is the Matanzas Inlet. What a beautiful area. There we can see the St. Augustine lighthouse. We are almost there.
Ooh, this is pretty congested. Let me go check in. (energetic music) Alright, here we are. Let's go check out the beach. Seems pretty nice. A little windy and choppy today, but nice.
And there's the St. Johns County Ocean Pier. All right, to St. Augustine we go. And I did practice my ancestors' tradition called the siesta this afternoon. So yeah.
Full of energy to explore America's first city. (upbeat music) I don't recall exactly who recommended it, but I had this place marked on my map called The Floridian. So let's check it out. Mojito looks good. Cheers. It's good.
Fried green tomatoes. That looks good. The concept is like a Southern fusion. All the flavors very well balanced. Very, very good.
By the way, that was delicious. Pleasantly surprised by The Floridian. Let's go for a stroll along St. George, which is the main tourist drag. Absolutely charming town founded in 1565 by Pedro Menéndez de Avilés, Florida's first governor.
And it was the capital of Spanish Florida for over 200 years. A lot of these historic buildings were reconstructed in 1965 to celebrate the city's 400th anniversary. (upbeat music) Here's one of the city's most iconic landmarks, The Bridge of Lions, spanning the Intracoastal Waterway, which in this area is also Matanzas Bay. Matanzas, the Spanish word for slaughter, named after the massacre of the French Huguenots by aforementioned Menendez de Avilés. For all the times I've been here, which have been at least four. I have never visited the Castillo de San Marcos, the old Spanish fortress guarding the bay.
Nowadays owned by the national park service, it is the oldest masonry fort in the continental United States. Made out of a peculiar stone called coquina, which is formed by ancient seashells. (happy music) So they would heat up the balls right here, inside like a bowling alley. Actually, I find it to be very similar in design to other Spanish fortifications found in places like Cuba, Puerto Rico For example.
This time, when we finally decided to visit, it is closed indefinitely due to COVID. It figures. There they are, parking my yacht.
Be careful (laughing). And we can see the lighthouse, the one other place we've never visited here. And it is such a gorgeous evening, but we're going to start heading back to the car slowly and call it a night. (soft music) (funky music) Good morning.
How about some vitamin D and salt water? That's what we came for, right? Just what the doctor ordered. Nice. (waves crashing) Why does the beach make you so hungry, huh? Anybody knows. (upbeat music) Well, it is time for another RV cooking show. The classic original recipe calls for some smoked pork shank, but we don't have any.
So we're going to use bacon. By the way, we're making some Cuban style red kidney beans, and we've had 'em soaking for a couple of hours. We have some chorizo Spanish sausage and we're going to remove the casing first and then slice it. While the bacon and the chorizo release some of that fat, we're going to chop an onion. (upbeat music) Let's do a green pepper, as well. Of course, we have to have some fresh garlic.
Salt to taste. Black pepper. Paprika.
Even though the chorizo already has plenty of that. Oregano and a little bit of cumin. Some of that Vino Seco cooking wine and some tomato sauce.
Mix it all together. Now the beans. Uh oh, I don't think it's gonna fit. We still have to add potatoes and carrots.
And this is the thing, we're used to the larger Instant Pot we have at home, but we'll figure it out. Let's give it some pressure for about an hour and we'll see. And an hour later. I forgot to mention I added some celery last minute. Ily is going to give it the taste test. And that way we make some room for the carrots and the potatoes.
(upbeat music) Another 20 minutes of pressure and mm, that come out great. Good morning. Good afternoon, actually. Let's do it again. (bright music) It is almost like Groundhog Day, but in a good way. Swim, eat, drink, sleep, repeat kind of thing.
What I didn't show you because I forgot to turn on the camera, our friend Randall came by yesterday. You would know him as Minitini's official detailer. And he brought us some tickets to the trolley, so that's what we're going to do today. We've never actually taken the St. Augustine trolley, so it should be fun and informative.
Driving across the Bridge of Lions into downtown St. Augustine never gets old. There's a little bit of traffic, as expected. (energetic music) I don't think we've ever been to this part of town, actually. Here we are, Old Town. And it looks like we just missed the trolley. We'll have to catch the next one.
Here they have the old jail, and it does look a little tourist trappy in a Disney-esque sort of way. But there is a history museum and a bunch of other cool stuff like a gristmill and the Oldest Store Museum Experience. But we really just came for the trolley. And it's going almost empty. There is the Fountain of Youth. I drank from it once some years back, but it didn't really work.
That's a big cross. There's Castillo de San Marcos. Here we have the old city gate and a small segment of the original city walls. Check it out, the old 1886 drugstore.
It's now a wax museum. This was the first location of Ripley's Believe It or Not Museum. If it feels like we're going in circles, it's because we are. Here we are once again by the old city gate and Castillo de San Marcos and lots and lots of museums and family activities, experiences.
(energetic music) The drawbridge is up. Nice sailboat going through. Let's go into the narrow cobblestones streets of the touristy downtown, where most of the restaurants are. We've always wanted to go to that balcony up there and have a sangria.
Hmm, Cuban cafe and bakery. Beautiful Memorial Presbyterian Church here. built by Henry Flagler in 1889. It is considered one of the top religious wonders to visit in the United States. There is Flagler College coming up. Originally the Ponce de Leon Hotel built in 1888 and also developed by Henry Flagler.
(energetic music) So many beautiful buildings here in St. Augustine. Here's a better view of Flagler College, such a beautiful building. It must have been a majestic hotel back in its heyday. Here's Casa Monica, also built in 1888. Here's a statue of the aforementioned Pedro Menendez de Aviles, founder of the city and Florida's first governor.
In front of the Lightner museum. The building was originally the Alcazar Hotel built in 1888 by take a guess, yes, Henry Flagler. I'm telling you, I think this guy built the whole town.
Ooh, there's a brewery. Let me tell you, had we not missed the previous trolley, we might have gotten off here and sampled some of the local IPAs. Here we have the ACCORD Civil Rights Museum here in the historic Lincolnville neighborhood. The white Victorian house belongs to Mrs. Cora Tyson, one of two houses where Martin Luther King Jr. stayed at once while in town organizing protests.
Lincolnville here was settled by former slaves and it is known for its civil rights heritage. Coming up here, the Yallaha Plantation House, one of the oldest in Florida dating back to 1800. And here's the St. Augustine distillery,
another place we wanted to visit originally. But let's face it, it's been a couple of lazy beach days for us. We came too late and we didn't want to risk missing the last trolley.
It is such a great tour though. And it is hop on and hop off. For us, a great overview of the city. And we get to see places and areas we didn't even know existed. (energetic music) Here's Plaza De La Constitucion.
The obelisk commemorates the Spanish Constitution of 1812. This used to be one of the most iconic restaurants here, the Santa Maria, decaying since 2015, when it closed One of these days, one of these days we have to visit the lighthouse. And let me tell you, I never realized there was so much to see in St. Augustine beyond the beaten path.
Hmm, oldest house. Interesting. - [Tour Guide] Now, for those of you that could see that cannonball, we're going to make a U-turn here. so we'll be able to see it the way back and we'll get into the story of that cannonball. - [Robert] Now, let me tell you something, this guy has some driving skills, taking this train on these narrow alleys. - [Tour Guide] Of this Spanish home.
Notice the flat roof, scenic wooden open windows, and also on the side of the house, the courtyard. Now the courtyard, that's how they enter the home and that is where they had everything on their lifestyle. - [Robert] It's a little bit of a bumpy ride.
- [Tour Guide] Now, here we go, back to the cannonball. You guys get a better view. That's that second window on the bottom floor. Now that shows you what the cannonball will do when they hit coquina. They would either stick in the side like that, or they would bounce off the side of the homes and fort, whatever is made of coquina.
Then we're gonna make our way inside. (bright music) - [Robert] And here we have a statue of Ponce de Leon himself. He led the first official European expedition to Florida and was the first governor of Puerto Rico, as well. (bright music) We're back by Ripley's Believe It or Not, which is the old Warden Castle, constructed in 1887 by one William G. Warden of Philadelphia. This wall is made of a kind of manmade coquina called tabby.
And here's our final stop, the Fountain of Youth. I definitely need some of that. Okay, let's go back to St. George, get something to eat, and maybe a sangria at that balcony I mentioned earlier.
(upbeat music) Tip of the day, off the corner of Spanish Street and Calle Sita, which happens to mean small street in Spanish, like little street, parking space there, a parking lot, $5 after 5:00 PM, at least on weekdays. That's a deal here in the downtown area. And if you walk a little further, here's a Hypolita Street. Let's take a stroll along the narrow, cobblestone streets. This is not something I would recommend, driving your RV into the narrow streets of St. Augustine.
Actually, that is something I would have totally done back in the day. And with a small enough B+, I probably still would. Tight fit. Okay, this is St. George, and that's our place right there. It seems to be empty.
How about that corner table up there? Yes, the ground floor and the second floor are apparently two different restaurants. And we are really in the mood for a refreshing sangria after that tour al fresco, which in June in Florida means warm, humid air. I think this is it.
It's called Old City Sangria. Pretty traditional, simple. Of course, we've had the one at the Columbia at the one in Tampa, which is much better, a lot more fruits, but you pay for it of course. This is exactly what we needed, simple and refreshing.
And I think we are going to eat someplace else. (light music) By the way, we're celebrating Ily's birthday, which is technically tomorrow, but we're here today. Let's go someplace else.
(voices clamoring) We're going to go into this place called Prohibition Kitchen. They have a pretty good beer selection, and that's what I'm having. And very nice ambience, kind of reminds me of New Orleans. They have poutine, which I wanted the one with pulled pork, but I guess she didn't hear me, and the giant pretzel. Yeah, today it's all about greasy bar food and live music, of course.
(upbeat music) It looks like St. George is getting busier as the day progresses. How about some ice cream? Cool, they have a model train that goes around the ice cream shop.
That's really cool. And it is raining. (happy music) (man scatting) (upbeat music) Let's start heading back. Definitely plenty of places to eat and have a good time here in St. Augustine.
(soft music) Good morning. We're almost ready to go. This is our campsite here. The last campsite of this area, 105e. Very nice.
Yeah, Anastasia State Park here, very wooded. It feels very, very remote even though it is not. If you look at a map like, like the city's right there. Before we go, let's stop by the public beach, which we've never actually been there. Come to think of it, there are many things in St. Augustine we've never done before.
Here's the fishing pier, and I believe you have to pay to go in. So we're not going to do it. (relaxing music) (waves crashing) Okay, if this drone footage looks a little lower quality than usual, stick around until the end, I'll let you know what happened. Of course, many of you probably already know. By the way, this is a great view of Matanzas Bay here, the inlet, downtown, our state park here in the foreground.
Even the lighthouse. Let's hit the road. ♪ Riding ♪ Riding in my RV ♪ Wherever I want to be ♪ Because I'm free in my RV, yeah ♪ ♪ I'm riding ♪ I'm riding in my RV ♪ Wherever I want to be ♪ Because I'm free ♪ In my RV, yeah Yeah, I decided to take a cruise around St. Augustine with the trailer in tow, get some video from the higher perspective of the trailer camera. Besides, I wanted to see it one last time. (bright music) Today, we have about a three hour long drive ahead of us.
We're going to Taylor County to visit our friends Rob and Trish, the Average Campers, and perhaps look for some property in the area. Just a piece of land away from big cities and regulations. It's still early days in our property search, but you gotta start somewhere. (bright music) Hm, I wonder what's going on.
Oh, a funeral. Large one, too. Here we are. We're going to spend the night at their property and tomorrow we'll look for something similar. By the way, Rob and Trish, The Average Campers on YouTube, super cool couple. And I love what they've done with the place.
(birds chirping) Oh, we slept so well last night. In this area of Florida, it actually cools down at night a little bit, even in late June. So we didn't have to run the AC all night long like we usually do. And it is so peaceful. At 10 a.m., Shannon the realtor showed up
and we went to look at some properties and this is what they look like in the raw. So, a little bit of work would have to go into it, which I don't really mind if the price is right. (happy music) Imagine having a piece of land that you can shape to your liking, and nobody really cares what you do with it. You can build a mansion or just full hookups for your RV.
And you are just a few minutes away from the Gulf of Mexico. I don't know, sounds pretty good to me. - [Rob] We get dolphin out here, you know, so when you're out on your boat, the dolphins come by, and yeah it's really beautiful. - [Robert] That's a lot of fiddler crab.
I have never seen anything like it. So after looking at half a dozen properties, nothing really screamed at me buy me, buy me. But we're still looking. By the way, Shannon Wirick, the realtor, super cool guy and I really appreciate the time he took to show me around. By the way, this is the very last video taken with the old DJI Mavic Pro.
At some point I lost the signal and it didn't return to me as it usually does, so I presume when the battery died, it fell to its demise in the warm, shallow waters of the Gulf of Mexico, never to be found. May the Pelican rest in peace. All this footage I rescued from the low resolution version it saves on the phone, and that's why it doesn't look so great. (soft music) 'Til next time.
Rob and Trish, thank you for the hospitality. As the journey continues towards the lost coast and the Emerald coast of the Florida panhandle, We had no reservations for tonight. So, we decided last minute to stay at this Wildwood Golf and RV Resort just 27 miles from where we're staying tomorrow.
We need to do laundry and they do have a restaurant. Let's go eat, we're hungry. We're starving, we haven't had anything to eat in the whole day. (upbeat music) I forgot the name, but it's an IPA. I forgot what kind, but it's a fish.
(upbeat music) Well, Wildwood RV Resort here, just a quick overnight stop. We did laundry and full hookups, which is always good and now we have a short day trip today. It's only gonna be a 30 minute drive to Ho-Hum RV Resort. I saw it about two years ago, it's in the Forgotten Coast and I said, this place, one of these days we're gonna come and the day came. (upbeat music) Now crossing Ochlockonee Bay. So, welcome to what is known as the Forgotten coast of Florida.
This quiet undeveloped, mostly uninhabited and relatively short section of coastline here on the Gulf of Mexico. (upbeat music) We're going to Carrabelle and hopefully we can get some lunch, we'll see. Very nice place here, I'm gonna show it to you guys later.
(upbeat music) Here we are, Carrabelle. A town that epitomizes the idea of Old Florida and after much research, the consensus seems to be on this place called Fathom's. (upbeat music) Still sitting a fathom apart.
Seafood and it's food so good you can not fathom. That's a good slogan. Let's check it out, hopefully they have room. Such a nice setting, right here near the mouth of the Carrabelle river and this whole area, very famous for the seafood. It's Oyster City from Apalachicola.
Yep, always in the mood for a nice cold local IPA. (indistinct chattering) Blackened grouper That's what Ily ordered. Check this out. I decided to go for something called a seafood boil.
Yeah, that seafood boil was amazing and something that believe it or not, I had never had before. Now I'm full of energy to continue the journey. (upbeat music) Let's continue going West exploring the Forgotten Coast. (upbeat music) Here's the local Carrabelle Beach but the better beaches are on the barrier islands like St. George coming up ahead. We can still see some of Hurricane Michael's aftermath almost two years later.
Yeah, damage like that much like that takes a long time to recover from, there in the distance, the Bryan Patton Bridge which spans the Apalachicola Bay going towards St. George, let's take it, we have never actually been there. (upbeat music) We're almost there, we can even see the St. George Island Lighthouse. (upbeat music) The main thing here is the beach and it turns out we forgot to bring our bathing suits. So we're just gonna drive around a little bit to get to know the area and we'll return tomorrow better prepared. You can tell all of these are brand new.
Most of the island seems to be private residences, a lot of them, by the way, very nice and a lot of it looks brand new construction, probably rebuild after the hurricane. (upbeat music) Now we're taking the John Gorrie Memorial Bridge onto Apalachicola Oyster Capital of the World, at least in Florida, that is. (upbeat music) I see a shrimping boat, this looks promising. (water trickling) (upbeat music) There it is, Miss Martha a shrimping boat docked here on the Apalachicola River. The shrimping industry, almost as important as the oysters in this parts. (upbeat music) It's a charming town but for some reason today, we are not feeling it.
Is it perhaps the oppressive humid heat or the fact that we already ate, were we hungrier or thirstier perhaps, we would have partaken on some of the seafood or craft beer the town has to offer. There's also lots and lots of interesting quirky shops. Well, I will show you more of Apalachicola here but it's so hot and humid that what this day really calls for is being at the beach, unluckily, unfortunately it was kind of crowded out there. So we're gonna go back to the RV park and tomorrow we're gonna explore a little more, this whole area but here it is, you see, I'm sweating, it's not fun. Summer in Florida sometimes can be not fun unless you are inside the water, then it is fun.
(upbeat music) You see that pile to the right? Those are oysters, oysters my friends. Thousands of oyster shells. (upbeat music) This right here is the very spot where I stopped for a break under the bridge when I was here about two years ago.
All right, let's go back to Minitini II. I want to show you the RV park and that's a long causeway. Again, the John Gorrie Memorial Bridge. (upbeat music) There's definitely that Old Florida vibe in this area.
This is nice too, I'm gonna add it to the list. Check out all the pelicans, fly pelicans. (upbeat music) And we're back by Carrabelle Beach, which let me tell you, it is a pretty decent beach, considering that it is not on a barrier Island. This is mainland Florida. (upbeat music) I forgot to show you earlier but this happens to be the world's smallest police station that we know of. (upbeat music) Well, yeah, this is the life I'm telling you.
One of these days, I'm gonna get me a motorhome so I can park in this front row here. Only motorhomes allowed no trailers, apparently because you park facing the water and this is called Ho-Hum RV Resort as I said, this is the Forgotten Coast of Florida, the Big Bend here, coming up this way and the Steinhatchee and that area and then on this side, that will be Carrabelle and then Apalachicola and this is the Panhandle, this is the beginning of the Panhandle, sort of and that's at the beginning of the peninsula. That's why it's called the Big Bend because this part of Florida (indistinct) at the end of the Gulf of Mexico kind of, you know what I mean in any case, we're gonna take a break now and maybe later tonight cook some dinner. (upbeat music) If it looks a little hazy, we are witnessing a rare phenomenon.
We've got some sand apparently coming from the Sahara from all the way across the Atlantic. Isn't that something? I'm thinking if maybe that had something to do with a drone failing yesterday, which, by the way, this would have been a great spot to fly the drone, too bad I don't have one at this very moment. Such a majestic bird. (upbeat music) Yeah. This place is nice, I like it. I like it here on the Gulf of Mexico, kind of out of the way and under the radar.
Probably the best site in the whole park that will accommodate a trailer and you still have ocean view. Here's not the ocean front but you got ocean view, ocean view? No, gulf view. I always have to correct myself. (upbeat music) I think it might rain.
Good morning. I was hoping to see the sunrise but I don't know, it doesn't look like it's gonna happen. We do have a lone dolphin here this morning. So calm and so peaceful here. (engine roaring) Well, I've got this one tire that is losing air very slowly.
I'm gonna have to take care of that at some point. Let's go to the beach now, shall we? (upbeat music) Let's go back to St. George Island. It is early, so there is still some parking available. (upbeat music) Very nice, a little crowded here in this part. (upbeat music) (wind blowing) This is pretty nice as far as beaches go, people had told me that it was like Destin, it's not quite like Destin but pretty nice sand. Let's check this place out.
(upbeat music) Tiki bar is this way. Yep, nice beachfront tiki bar. (indistinct chattering) Let's sit right here. The "Blue Parrot", it's a rum-runner. Yeah, rum-runners always remind me of the Florida Keys. (upbeat music) Well, that was a fun day at the beach.
Let's stop by Carrabelle Beach real quick and see what it is like. (upbeat music) Actually very quiet compared to St. George. (wind blowing) And that's Dog Island, only accessible by boat or a small plane.
(wind blowing) (dramatic upbeat music) (dramatic upbeat music continues) Well, good morning once again. It's moving day. (upbeat music) We're at Ho-Hum RV Park here, very nice and the weather is beautiful today, now that we have to leave but hopefully it'll be beautiful tomorrow and today and tomorrow at Seaside.
We're going to Grayton Beach State Park and it should be fun. Ever since we went to Destin six years ago, almost six years ago, I've wanted to come back to that area to the Emerald Coast and that's where we're going. - [Announcer] We found a faster route via Florida 20 West which saves six minutes. - No thanks, for six minutes I'd rather have the scenic coastal view. I think it would be worth it. (upbeat music) Carrabelle here.
We really liked it, even though we only get a taste, figuratively and literally, we liked the vibe. If there is such a thing. Very old Florida, very carefree, slow-paced. We must definitely return and spend a few extra days sometime. (upbeat music) Here's the long causeway going towards Apalachicola, a town that I really wanted to like but I don't know, there was something about it that just didn't click with us this time. I'm thinking perhaps it felt overly touristy and oppressive heat, that didn't help either.
(upbeat music) This here is called Port St. Joe, as we continue the long trek towards the Emerald Coast here on the scenic route, we are approaching Mexico Beach and as I mentioned, I was here two years ago, shortly after Hurricane Michael and it was total devastation. Let's see how it's faring these days and it looks like there are still some repairs going on and lots of new construction. (upbeat music) This boardwalks, they seem to be new as well. (upbeat music continues) Yep, hurricane recovery can be a slow process and as you can see, a lot of it has been rebuilt, but not everything.
This was the very spot where the eye of the storm made landfall and the storm surge alone must have been enormous that plus the winds and the rain, let's just say, I wouldn't have wanted to be here when it happened. (upbeat music) This used to be a forest but the winds snapped these trees in half as if they were toothpicks. (upbeat music) Now driving on the DuPont Bridge onto Panama city, not the beach town this is more of an inland industrial metropolis of sort which by the way, was not spared by the brutal force of the winds. (upbeat music) All of a sudden, we have all these mansions here, overlooking the bay, very nice.
(upbeat music) Well, we've made it to Panama City Beach and we finally get to see the turquoise waters of the Emerald Coast. It is a true resort town with heavy traffic, high rise hotels and all kinds of flashy attractions. (upbeat music) We're going to be staying at Grayton Beach State Park right next to the town of Seaside. (upbeat music) It is a pretty large campground and we're staying back here at the more rustic loop. (upbeat music) You guys just missed the blue angels fly by. Anyway guys this is our site here, very nice at Grayton Beach State Park and as you can see, it's something that you don't have in every state's park in Florida.
At least this site, number eight, we have full hookups. We have a sewer line which is great because you can take that long, endless shower and very nice it's hot and muggy but we are very close to the beach so we're gonna do that later. I believe it is this way, there's a big site, site number five, actually on the map, it looks like the beach is right there but it is a pretty long walk, especially in the summer Florida heat. It also feels longer because even though the water is right there, we're not allowed to walk on the sand dunes, we can only cross through this boardwalk right here. Oh, this is beautiful.
We're gonna have to be back later because right now we have a dinner reservation. (upbeat music) We're driving into neighboring Seaside, very cool town, a master-planned community. One of the first to apply something called the "New Urbanism" design and the filming location for the movie, "the Truman Show." It is a lot busier than I expected and I can see parking might be an issue.
Here by the main square, they have this row of Airstreams that serve as food trucks. (upbeat music) We've been going around in circles, looking for parking in vain. So we're just gonna have to backtrack and park almost half a mile away. Parking was a little more of an ordeal than we were expecting, but we're on our way now.
This is what they've done, all these restaurants, they have taken over the street with this big tents to offer dining alfresco. We're gonna be eating at the Great Southern Cafe. Nowadays, you get the menu by scanning a QR Code on the table and we got ourselves some mojitos It's all right and here's our food.
Let's begin, I'm starving. We're on the Great Southern. I had higher expectations, it is fine and if this town looks familiar by the way, this is the town that was the location for the movie "The Truman Show."
I don't know if you remember the movie from the late '90s, yeah, it's that perfect little town. We're gonna walk around a little bit and then we going back to the state park and maybe we're going to the beach. That's the actual restaurant and here's the most perfect little town square. Look at the cute tiny post office building. There you go, that might've been better.
We have an antique golf cart. Great ambiance here, although let me tell you, it is perhaps a little bit crowded. And they have all these Airstreams here that are like at food trucks, basically foot Airstreams, very unique here in Downtown Seaside. Definitely a little more crowded than I expected. It is definitely a very popular tourist destination here.
(upbeat music) We're gonna start walking back to the car on the less crowded backstreets. Slowly, we're gonna take our time. (upbeat music) I think this is it, the house from the movie. Well, it does say "the Truman house", so... I have to rewatch that movie. Supposedly was the house Truman lived.
in any case it's too hot to be outdoors and not in the water, so I think we're going to the beach. Well, this is probably the last time we do summer in Florida, so enjoy. It's way too hot.
My mom always told me never to swim after eating but I think it's a myth. So we're gonna do it anyways and did I mention it is hot? Yeah, this time we're driving. (upbeat music) Look at the beautiful, fine sand.
It's like sugar. There's a little bit of seaweed which apparently is a common occurrence in June, who knew? (upbeat music) See all the seaweeds in water. There're some seaweeds. (upbeat music) (wind blowing) Way out there over the horizon, we can see the upper halves of the Panama City Beach, high rise hotels and it is such a beautiful afternoon here.
Such a great time, enjoying the outdoors. (upbeat music) (wind blowing) (upbeat music) All good things come to an end but this one is not over, not quite yet. Today we have an almost all-day drive to Summerfield and we're gonna stay at Sunkissed RV Resort.
It is new and very luxurious, really looking forward to it. They invited me to stay a couple of nights and after our whirlwind trip, we can definitely use a couple of days of luxury. I won't bore you showing you the whole trip there because as you probably know I-75 and I-10 are not the most scenic of drives in this parts. Several hours later, not before a couple of afternoon rain showers here we are Sunkissed RV Resort. Alright, let's go check in.
(upbeat music) This is very nice. Everything looks brand new. (upbeat music) We're gonna go to this place called Francesco's, they recommended it here at the RV resort and it's supposed to be good. It's three and a half miles away, Italian. "Happy Hour All Day." (indistinct chattering) It seems very nice, we've got some wine and some bread and some bruschetta.
We're really starving. It's a wedding soup. Salmon Cleopatra. And Ily got the Italian Trio Yeah, we even got dessert. Well, Francesco's here, delicious.
- [Announcer] In 400 feet, turn right onto Southeast 167th Plains road. - Delicious food are relatively affordable, service, it was a little.. - [Announcer] Take the next right of the Southeast 167th Plains road, then turn left onto us 27 North. - You see she won't shut up. The service is a little sluggish.
Maybe it was our server, She was like a little, you know? Overwhelmed but other than that, it was awesome and a fitting final meal to, maybe not the final meal but the second to final meal of our trip here. - [Announcer] Turn left onto US 27 North US 441. - And I just remembered, oh gosh, it was somewhere here. I forgot to give her my..
I had a $5 coupon and I forgot to give it to her. Oh, well maybe we'll come back tomorrow. (upbeat music) They gave me this remote, let's see if it works and it does. Well, good morning from Sunkissed Village RV Resort here. Very nice. It's kind of a late morning actually. We've been working all morning here trying to get the next video ready but I think the weather calls for a visit to the pool and that's what I'm gonna do right now.
It's summer in Florida. It's awfully hot here during the day but then in the afternoon it starts getting cloudy and you usually get thunderstorms, that's like the weather pattern and of course it's summer in Florida. So this place is like wide open.
So yeah, let's go check out the pool. There's people there already. (upbeat music) This place has pretty much every amenity imaginable, even tennis courts. (upbeat music) This is what I'm talking about. They even have a Tiki bar and a hot tub.
Let's see what this is. It's like an activities hall and they have a gym here too, they have a game room. Oh, that's a cool-looking orange drone.
Mailboxes probably for the seasonal residents and well, this is what I came for, the swimming pool. (upbeat music) It's heated. (upbeat music) (upbeat music continues) It looks like it might rain. Let's check out the laundry here. Credit card-operated, very nice.
This are the bathrooms. (upbeat music) Look at that, glass doors. All right I'm gonna get back to work before the storm hits, see you tomorrow.
(upbeat music) Since I lost my drone a couple of days ago in Taylor County, Sunkissed RV Resort donated some drone footage so I could show you the park from above. These are some of the new park motels they opened up recently and let me tell you, I'm not saying it because they invited me to stay but it is one of those places where everything seems to be perfect and immaculately clean. (upbeat music) This will be the end of our Florida loop from here we go North embarking in the great American road trip summer 2020 but more about that on a different video, until then, thank you so much for watching and see you, on the road.
(upbeat music) ♪ I'm riding ♪ Riding in my RV
2021-01-12 02:15
