Round 4 of our 6 round camping season is underway, and we find ourselves this time at Gamble Rogers Memorial State Recreation Area in Flagler Beach, FL. We are only about an hour south of home, and this is the final time we will camp in Florida this year. For every Thanksgiving since Gary has owned me, we have camped at nearby Tomoka State Park in Ormond Beach. Tomoka is a nice park, but the roads in and out are absolutely horrible. Until they fix them, we will either stay here at Gamble Rogers, or Gary will commute to the Turkey Run car show at Daytona International Speedway from home. I don't remember what it's like to not be camping on Thanksgiving, so I will remind Gary that he needs to make reservations for here as soon as he possibly can. We actually camped here for one night back in 2011, but since then, they have built a second camping loop here. Actually, it was just completed this summer, so everything is fresh and new here. The new camping loop is on the interior side of Highway A1A. The older loop is on the beach side of the highway. This place is extremely popular as most of the coastal Florida State Parks are, and it's very hard to get a reservation here. We lucked into a cancellation the last time we were here, and Gary booked our current reservation during the first hour of the first day that reservations could be made for here in the new loop. One of our goals this year was to stay at places we have never stayed at before. Technically, this is a new place, since this loop didn't exist until recently. The one night we were here before was so long ago, that I can barely remember it. It's nice here, and I can see why it's so popular. Being near the beach is fun, and being just across the highway from it is equally fun. We can clearly hear the sound of the waves constantly rolling in. Gary and I have slept extremely well since we've been here. Needless to say, the new restroom in this loop is VERY nice. Gary has raved about it since he first saw it. I can't say that the campsites in either loop are all that pretty, but they serve the purpose. They are close together, but not nearly as close as the privately owned campgrounds are. I've included a picture from both loops for comparison. The campground road and campsite pads in the new loop are partially paved (asphalt) and partially gravel. In the old loop, they are compacted dirt. There's a boat ramp, picnic areas, and kayak rentals available on the inland side of the park, and walkways and an overlook to the beach on outer side. The beach is picturesque like beaches usually are. Gary is always attracted to the water, and spends a considerable amount of time walking along the water's edge. He was there before the sunrise this morning. I haven't seen a single squirrel here, but TV reception is exceptional. I've been perfectly content watching TV while Gary has been out exploring the park, antiquing, or spending his time at the car show. The weather has been a bit warm, but not at all hot. The wind has been blowing like crazy ever since we've been here. There's been short little downpours on and off, but nothing to detract from our fun. Gary wishes he had brought his bicycle. Oh well, maybe next time. Well, I'm off to bed. Goodnight from beautiful Flagler Beach.
We had a great stay at Gamble Rogers over the past four days, but all good things have to come to an end. In order to prolong our trip a bit longer, I talked Gary into driving up coastal A1A on our way back to St. Augustine instead of taking I-95. It didn't take much persuasion on my part. Gary was in no big hurry to get home, and the drive up the coast is a pretty one. We made a couple of very brief stops at first for photo opportunities, then spent almost two hours at Marineland Park. We LOVE that little park, and have stopped there before to relax and enjoy the scenery. While Dodge and I took it easy in the parking lot, Gary walked the full length of that long boardwalk a couple of times, snapping pictures along the way. Then he made his way down to the beach, where the picture taking REALLY heated up. All in all, Gary snapped over 150 pictures, and I had the hardest time trying to pick my favorites. Space here doesn't allow me to post them all, but I did manage to share a good number of them. It was a pretty day, and I hope you'll enjoy these photos as much as I do. Gary climbed all over those rocks, waded through the water, and even fell on his butt on a sand dune. I sure am glad he didn't fall on those rocks, or I might be posting this from the hospital right now. He had a lot of fun, and was really happy we spent some time at scenic Marineland Park rather than fighting traffic on boring old I-95. Dodge and I had a good time too. Back on the road, we enjoyed all the sights along the way, the ride through downtown St. Augustine (which is ALWAYS beautiful), and finally our arrival back at the Green Acres Garage. Eight miles from home, Dodge reached another milestone, the 247,000 mile mark. Our final two trips of the year will be fairly lengthy, so by the time our camping season ends, Dodge will probably be past a quarter-million miles. That's a BUNCH!!! I think Gary and I need to throw him a party or something. He most definitely deserves a celebration of some sorts. We have a short turnaround time before we hit the highway for more new and exciting adventures. I'll write from wherever we are. Have a GREAT week!
