The popularity of state parks in Florida may be greater than our more familiar MN state parks. My guess is Floridian RV’ers combined with the snowbirds, and the warmer climate create more competition for the finite amount of campsites.  BTW – Floridian residents receive a discount of fifty percent.  South Dakotan seniors get spit.   Our stay in this area was split between Topsail Hill Preserve, and Rocky Bayou State Park due to space availability.

Fort Walton Beach , and Destin Florida are fantastic beautiful well-manicured Destination’s.  The homes, condo’s, and hotel’s are landscaper gold mines.  The beaches are consistent white sand, and restaurants are plentiful.  Picking a winner meal can be problematic.  We have yet to dine at a Cracker Barrel, our hometown favorite.  Oh the hardships of retirement, it’s a first world problem.

Walking and/or biking the park trails is relaxing. Deb and I have warmed up to self-guided walking tours long ago.  Deb works diligently to build in a minimum of an hour each day of exploration, often three hours.  The saw palmetto, and palm trees are soothing.  The Long Needle Pine, and Sand Pine trees create Minnesota home sick moments.  Truth be told if we didn’t know better at times I’d swear we were camping in Minnesota.  Who knew?

Rocky Bayou State Park was a real blast. The Naval armament disposal, and Air Force bombing fields are near by.  I’m guessing the NIMBY’s got use to it long ago.   Our first two-day’s in the area the military training sounded like far off thunder.  It’s good to know our boy’s and girls are getting trained up.  Then God spoke.  Our trailer shook, we looked at each other wide-eyed and awake; “I hope no one was hurt on that one.”

With a fifty percent interest level we slowly drove past the armament museum in Niceville

Our stay at Topsail Hill offered up two RVing adverse issues.  Our surge protector did not allow the 50 amp current to flow into our rig, and I discovered a screw in the far rear left trailer tire.  Bummer.  The surge protector will diagnose the line voltage.  A 50 amp circuit has (2) 110 volt lines coming together. Each line has to be delivering more than 104 volts in order to pass inspection.  Line one was 123 volts; the second line was varying between 98 and 102 volts.   Oddly we had been at the site for almost a day before the failure.  I reported the issue, a grounds maintenance person checked it out with his voltmeter and it passed the volt test.  Strange.  Do we have a bad surge protector?  We changed sites and everything has been fine.  By that time of day I was tired.  Tired!!! Oh, I almost forgot.  I removed the screw, and have been monitoring the tire.  One hundred miles later, so far so good. Finally my mechanical skills get a chance to perform,,,,,,,rightsey tightsey, leftsy loosey.

I’m screwed

Surge Protector