Lunch with Good Friends in High Springs, Preparing to Depart

January 31, 2010.  We got out early and immediately noticed the chill in the air.  The temperatures had plunged from the days before.  I wanted to get an early start packing up some of our things, to include the mountain bikes, before our lunch date with George and Bonnie.

At 11:30 we left for High Springs a town on US 41 about 50 miles south of White Springs.

We had a nice lunch with good friends, George and Bonnie at the Great Outdoors Restaurant on main street. 

The beautifully remodeled building was originally an opera house built in the late 1800’s.  The Great Outdoors restaurant is now on the first floor and the second floor is a banquet hall.

We got home about 4:30.  I continued to make preparations to leave tomorrow morning.  Ranger Gary Erixton, the senior ranger stopped by to say goodbye and wish us well as he would be off tomorrow.  He told us that if we ever want to come back to volunteer or just passing through he would find or make room for us.  That was nice.  We enjoyed working with him and learning about the history of the area from him.

Ranger Dylan Shoemaker had been out of town over the weekend and had just got home.  We shall be seeing him first thing in the morning. 

We are looking forward to our travel day.  Our destination is Grayton Beach State Park near Destin, Florida.  If we get a late start or have bad weather we my divert to Torreya State Park. 

Mail Forwarding, Naval Museum and Friends

While in the Pensacola Area, we decided to set up our mail forwarding and update our driver licenses and vehicle registrations.  Because we no longer owned a home or rented, we no longer have a fixed address.  American Home Base is a company the provides the mail forwarding and address services the we would need for our full time adventure.  Although the service could be established on-line, we decided to sign up in person and inspect the facility.  The business appears to be run out of a building that may have been a house at one time with a dirt and grass parking lot.  We received a mailing address and a "permanent address" to utilize for official purposes.

While visiting with Ashley and Andrew we had the opportunity to visit the Naval Aviation Museum. The Museum is a must see when in the area.

Aside from visiting with Ashley and Andrew, we visited some great friends of ours, Rocky and Gloria just across the border in Alabama.  They had recently returned from a government job in England and had purchased a new beautiful large home in Spanish Fort, Alabama.

  We had a great time visiting them and enjoyed a wonderful all you can eat fried mullet meal at the local restaurant.