{By Kelly}
​
It was hard to leave New Orleans just as Mardi Gras was getting started, but we had to get back to work. 

​Our midway stop on our way home was St. Andrew’s State Park, Panama City Beach, Fla. I had picked out a primo waterfront site and was looking forward to being in a more natural setting after our city slicker site in NOLA.
 
Just before we got to the park, we stopped in the town of Seaside, Fla. along 30A where a group of seven Airstream food trucks were lined up. We had an awesome dinner at Barefoot BBQ, the only one that was still open late in the evening. If you go, try the BBQ nachos. Yum! 

​Due to our sightseeing and dinner stop, we arrived at the state park after dark. Parking was a joy. We got settled in and quickly fell asleep. Road-tripping is exhausting!
 
The next day, we learned that Krew of St. Andrews was hosting a Mardi Gras parade in Panama City, so we decided to check it out. We missed the big parades in NOLA, so this was a nice treat. There were giant floats and beads galore. We caught our fair share!

​Back at the campsite, we enjoyed our waterfront view, especially as the sun began to set. If you ever visit St. Andrews State Park, site #2 is the one to get. While there are plenty of waterfront sites, this one seemed to be the largest and had the most privacy.

​That evening, we met up some of my family who live in Panama City. We had a great dinner at Capt. Anderson’s, then headed back to the park to relax by the campfire.

The next morning, we woke to a beautiful sunrise and walked down to the beach to fully appreciate it. The white sand squeaked under our feet like snow, and we watched as deer wandered about the dunes. 

​We wished we could spend a few more days at this gorgeous park in our perfect campsite. But it was time to head home.

If you go:
St. Andrews State Park
4607 State Park Lane, Panama City Beach, FL 32408
(850) 233-5140, ext. 5141
$28/night, plus $6.70 reservation fee
Water/Electric hookups (176 sites), picnic tables, grills, dump station
Max length: 45 feet
Restrooms with hot showers, laundry facility
Beach, nature trails, boat ramp, fishing, concessions

Follow our adventures on Twitter @RivetedRoost, or find us on Facebook, Tumblr, Pinterest and Instagram. We're posting lots of photos to our social media sites in real time, so follow along!

All photos © Kelly Beard, The Riveted Roost

{By Kelly}
 
Justin had a conference in New Orleans, Louisiana. He could have flown me out to join him, but I decided a camping road trip with the pups would be much more fun. However, we had a few chores to do on the Airstream before our departure.

Plumbing marathon
Things don’t always go as planned, especially when restoring a vintage Airstream. We expected to have our black tank and toilet installed before we embarked on our trip to New Orleans. It’s February, and it’s cold (yes, even here in the South – we’re wimps). Trudging to the camp restroom in the middle of the night is less than desirable. But due to a winter storm in the northeast, our tank shipment was delayed. It arrived at 11 a.m. the day we were supposed to leave. So much for an early start!

​Justin worked feverishly to install the tank and pipe, build the subfloor and laminate flooring around it, and install the toilet. It was a plumbing marathon. Despite his haste, it turned out quite nice. And it worked! Hallelujah! 

​We finally got on the road, after 9 p.m. Since Justin worked his tail off, I volunteered to drive the entire way, taking the scenic route we had mapped out. Let me tell you, it’s not nearly as scenic at night. We were looking at an 8+ hour drive. Meh. At least traffic is light at night.
 
Oh, deer!
It was all good until we got to St. Mark’s National Wildlife Refuge in the panhandle, where the National Deer Convention was apparently taking place. I’ve never had such a white-knuckle driving experience in my life. Deer everywhere! Herd upon herd, upon herd, grazing on both sides of the road. I thought for sure one of those dumb does would dart in front of the truck. So, I drove below the speed limit with my high beam lights on, eyes darting back and forth, willing the deer to stay put. We made it through “Deer Alley” without injury or casualty to our rig, or the deer, an absolute miracle in my opinion!

St. George Island
We arrived at our campsite (Loop A, site #45) at St. George Island State Park in Eastpoint, Fla. in 8.5 hours (approx. 431 miles from Stuart, Fla.). It was about 5 a.m. and pretty darn cold (30s) when we arrived. Finding our site and parking the Airstream in the dark after a long night of driving was a delight. Ha. Try not to yell at each other and wake the neighbors as you’re backing in! We’ve finally begun to use our cell phones when parking – it helps, especially during “quiet time” hours. We walked the dogs and did a minimal set up, wanting desperately to just go to sleep. When we finally settled into bed, we noticed we could hear the sound of the Gulf waves coming to shore. Aaaahhhhh.

​We awoke just after sunrise and walked to the beach, excited to see it in daylight. It was ranked #3 on Dr. Beach’s Top 10 Beaches List in 2014. We were impressed by the large sand dunes not just on the beach, but strewn throughout the park amongst the pine trees, palmettos, and coastal scrub. 

Normally, we’re water warriors, but we headed inland due to the wind and colder weather. This would be a great park for swimming, paddling, and fishing on a calm, summer day. Instead, we went for a walk with the pups through the pine flatwoods and out to the bay. There’s a nice 2.5-mile trail off the campground – not bad for Florida “hiking.”

​Oyster excursion
Later that afternoon, we set out to find a dog-friendly restaurant with oysters. Because when in Apalachicola, you must eat their world-famous oysters. It’s a rule. Look it up. We ended up at Eddy Teach’s Raw Bar, just the kind of divey joint we like, with live music, picnic tables, and pitchers of beer. It was on the island, bayside, close to the park. Rumor is it has since closed, but there are plenty of oyster joints on the island, including the Blue Parrot Café, also pet-friendly, and right on the beach.

Super Bowl data debacle
It also happened to be Super Bowl Sunday (Patriots vs. Seahawks). It was our first time spending the Super Bowl in the Airstream and since we didn’t have a TV or a satellite, we decided to watch it on our iPad. Well, that was a terrible idea. It ate up our entire data plan and the NFL broadcast didn’t even show the commercials! To top it off, the Patriots won. We HATE the Pats! What a waste. We ended up paying several increments of $15 throughout the course of our trip to boost our data plan. We’re so used to having a decent WIFI connection. Lesson learned!

The next morning, we hitched up the Airstream and headed toward the Crescent City on the Big Muddy Mississippi. So long, St. George!

If you go:
Dr. Julian G. Bruce St. George Island State Park
1900 E. Gulf Beach Drive, St. George Island, FL 32328
(850) 927-2111
$24/night, plus $6.70 reservation fee
Water/Electric hookups (60 sites), dump station
Max length: 43 feet
Restrooms with hot showers
Playground, beach, nature trails, boat ramp, canoe rentals, fishing

{By Kelly}

We had a great time at the Vintage Trailer Rally at Sebastian Inlet State Park in Sebastian, Fla, Oct. 24-26, 2014. Here are a few pics of The Riveted Roost and friends, along with the stunning views from the park.

This is a gorgeous park with beach and lagoon access for boating, fishing, swimming, surfing, paddling, hiking and just soaking up some sun. The campground is lovely and many sites have waterfront views.

All photos © Kelly Beard, The Riveted Roost

{By Kelly}

If you're in the Miami area, Shark Valley is a great introduction to Everglades National Park (park entrance fee, $10/vehicle). Located 25 miles west of the Florida Turnpike, the Shark Valley Visitor Center offers educational displays including a short informational video, gift shop, nature trails, snacks, and restrooms. Tram tours ($23 per person, $19/seniors, $12.75/children) to the observation tower and back (about two hours) are provided, or rent a bike ($9/per hour) and do the 15-mile loop at your own pace. 

At any given time, visitors can see a variety of birds, plants, and even a few alligators, as you'll see in the photos, below.

If you're interested in camping in Everglades National Park, you can find more information here.

All photos © Kelly Beard, The Riveted Roost.

If you go to Shark Valley, be sure to visit the Miccosukee Indian Village and take an airboat ride before or after your visit - it's on the way. It's an exhilarating ride through the beautiful River of Grass to an Indian Camp that is more than 100 years old. At the camp, watch for gators as you take in the gorgeous view.

We squeezed in a long weekend in the Keys to celebrate the Fourth of July with Justin's family. They rented a cute little bungalow at the Old Wooden Bridge Guest Cottages and Marina on Big Pine Key.

Upon our late afternoon arrival, we were greeted by the local "Welcome Committee," the infamous Key Deer. After we got unpacked, we loaded up the boat and headed into the Atlantic for some night fishing. We were met by a gorgeous sunset and rewarded with a full night of reeling in snapper. It was a nice change to fish at night under the stars instead of under the blazing sun.

The next day (July 4th), the boys headed offshore to fish while a few of us stragglers took the boat to Looe Key to snorkel the reef. It was a beautiful sunny day and clear, calm seas, perfect for diving. We saw all kinds of tropical fish, as well as a Blacktip shark and a couple Goliath Grouper. The grouper lounging in the shade of the boat was easily 4 feet and probably 300 lbs. We were literally nose to nose and he seemed just as curious about me as I was about him.

That evening, we celebrated Independence Day with a barbecue and viewed Big Pine Key's fireworks show from our SUPs (stand up paddleboards). It was quite a show and a perfect way to celebrate in the Keys.

Our last full day in the Keys, we decided to take a drive down to Key West and have some fun downtown. We enjoyed some refreshing frozen daiquiris, then lunch at Kelly's Caribbean Bar, Grill & Brewery. Lunch in the shady courtyard is a refreshing change from the touristy bars and restaurants on Duval Street. We made the rounds of our favorite bars, a few shops, then picked up one of Blue Heaven's famous Key Lime pies for later. 

One of the benefits of the Old Wooden Bridge Guest Cottages is the close proximity to the No Name Pub, one of our favorite places to eat and drink in the Keys. After returning from Key West, we rode our bikes less than a half of a mile to No Name Pub for dinner. We had a great meal and stapled our decorated dollar bills to the wall (it's a tradition!) Back at the cottages, we dug into our delicious Key Lime pie and savored our last balmy night in the islands.

The next morning, Justin and I went for a sunrise paddle - it was a nice way to end our Keys trip and a great excuse to move and stretch before getting on the road for our 4 hour drive home. While parting is such sweet sorrow, the view along the Overseas Highway in the Keys is always stunning. We stopped for a lovely breakfast at Midway Cafe in Islamorada, then continued through the hustle and bustle of South Florida on our way back to reality.

Here are my favorite photos from our weekend in the Keys: