Warm Sunny Florida At Last?

Fort Clinch State Park, Amelia Island, FL - Site #11

32°F and 32 mph northerlies this morning—welcome to warm and sunny Florida.

Actually, we made it to Fort Clinch State Park, just over the Florida border, early yesterday afternoon. It was 70° and it looked like this—

Beach Site 11

That's more like it.

The trip down from Buck Hall was pretty straightforward until the end. The Zumo directed us to the back gate of the park which is, of course, locked. We've been here three or four times before and should have noticed that we were going down a road that was unfamiliar, but...

After a quick readjustment to the routing it was off to the main entrance where we checked into our last-minute beachside site for two nights. I have to go back to the office tomorrow to check-in for the last two nights (a different beachside site).  

When we made our original reservations last month, we felt lucky to get any site, much less one on the beach side. The reservations here fill quickly, particularly on weekends. This is how it looks for the next two weeks—

We debated whether to take a site on the beach or on the river. The beach area is smaller and more open, but the riverside area has a modern heated shower building. The last time we were here the beach still had outdoor showers (enclosed, but still open at the top and bottom...lots of fun when it is freezing and one is trying to wash pelican poo out of one's hair).  Ellen, who much prefers the beach side, regardless of the showers, insisted that they must have replaced the building by now. She didn't know it, but she was right. Heated,  clean modern facilities, lots of hot water —

It was warm and sunny when we arrived, so we went off for a short walk up to the fishing pier. It was pretty quiet, but an American Kestrel flew in right behind our site just as we started. We only saw a few other birds on the walk. The Kestrel was the highlight.

We returned in time for sunset and dinner. As the sun dropped, so did the temperature and the wind rose in return. By the time we went to bed, Speedy was rocking and did so all night long. It was near freezing when we awoke and is still in the forties. The wind has moderated to a mere 10-18 out of the northeast. At least it wasn't the 0° of Cohasset or the 19° of Buck Hall and Huntington Beach. But it looked like almost the whole country was cold, even the left coast Huntington Beach was 45°.

Ellen bundled up and took a walk around the park this morning, but it is too cold and windy for a bike ride (for me, anyway), so we are spending a quiet day in Speedy. We have electricity and out little electric heater keeps it toasty.