We left home Dec. 24, 2010 and this is our first time back at the blog. We celebrated Christmas wih our Ohio relatives and New Year's in Richmond, VA with Chad & Carlynn. We left Jan. 2 for Sarasota. Along the way we camped in South Carolina, Savannah GA and St. Augustine, FL. After being in Sarasota for 1 1/2 weeks with my Mom, Eldon's mother died. We flew to Ohio on Jan. 16 for a week to make arrangements and have the funeral. Then back to Sarasota for a few days before camping in the Keys for 12 days. We stayed in the newly re-opened Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park in Key Largo going both south and north. While there we rented kayaks and took a tour of the coral reefs in a glass bottom boat. Key West, as always, was an interesting visit. This time we toured in our newly purchased scooter (see picture!) Then back to Sarasota with my Mom for more than 3 weeks - a good time was had by all. We are enjoying our first winter of warm weather. We left Sarasota yesterday for a month in the camper. So, we decided to start the blog up again - the plan is to travel the Gulf Coast before heading back to Virginia for a get together with the kids before heading to St. Ignace in time to do our income taxes.

Our first camping adventure of the trip turned out great. So great, we decided to stay 2 nights. We are in Keaton Beach FL - where the pan handle and the peninsula meet. We didn't know remote places like this still exist in busy Florida. The camp was full when we arrived but the owner unplugged someone who only comes on the weekend, told us to back up by their site and plugged us in! There is no cell phone service here, but we have Internet and cable TV - go figure. The sunset last night was fantastic. This morning we moved to an ocean site - super place as you can see in the pic.

Comments from Eldon: The scooter brings a new dimension to camping. We are able to buzz around the side streets and roads - basically I feel I was born to "scoot."

Comments from Larry: I spent a nice month and a half in Sarasota with no children or dogs. Life was good with Donalee. Now it's time to explore again. Oh yea, when we were in the Everglades, I was supposed to see alligators, panthers and birds of prey (whatever that means) but I didn't see anything but bugs - lots of bugs. Thank goodness for Frontline.