Top Sails and On To Perry KOA in Perry, Florida

Wednesday (11th) was a great day. We visited Cliff & Carole Hardin who live on a horse farm near Dothan, Alabama about 190 km. from Topsail State Park. They are friends of Robbie & Janet McNeil, son & daughter-in-law to our friends George & Donna McNeil, all from Onslow, Nova Scotia. Janet & Robbie and Cliff are all hikers. Cliff and Carole were very welcoming and showed us around their lovely property. We were introduced to their champion Palamino horses, and then toured the farm before having a delicious lunch. Carol has started her garden with carrots, lettuce, radish, potatoes and we observed fresh asparagus sprouting. Her Iris, Viola and Sweet William flowers are in full bloom. These are very accomplished people. They both train and show horses and have both won numerous prizes including world championships. Besides that, Carole is a nursing instructor and Cliff has hiked major trails in the US, New Zealand, and other places in the world. He has earned the Triple Crown of hiking.
Paul has just returned from Miss Lucille’s Gossip Cafe where he goes most mornings to check e-mails along with The Guardian, a PEI newspaper.
The rain was coming down hard early this morning but has now stopped. The air is clear and sweet with the scent of pine trees. Birds are singing and Paul is rearranging the trailer on its new site so we can step out on to the cement pad and put down the awning. We are more secluded here with bushes and trees all around the site. We had to move to another site in this park as we decided to stay another three days.
Yesterday we went to the beach. The sun was hot and the waves a beautiful clear bottle green color crashing into white foam at the shore. Most people simply sat and watched as wave after wave rolled in – a hypnotizing effect. We splashed in the water and then, to dry off, walked up the shore to a sandbar where we found some pretty seashells. We’re going to check out that spot again. Everyone along the beach smiles and says hello – accents from all over the northern states and Canada. They all ask where we come from. Obviously, they think we also have an accent!!!
Sharon and Leo Walsh, a couple from Ontario, stopped by shortly after we got back from the beach and we all decided to go out for dinner to Enzo’s, an Italian restaurant. Faye was given a half hour to get ready and, believe it or not, she did!
On Sunday afternoon it was raining so decided to say hello to Wendell & Joan Deagle from Souris West who are vacationing in Fort Walton Beach. We called ahead and daughter-in-law Louise informed us that, very unfortunately, Joan’s brother had passed away in Ontario. We then toured Henderson State Park just down the road from Top Sails with impulsive thoughts to staying there another time as this location fronts the same beach as Top Sail.
Leo and Sharon dropped over. After a great visit, we said our good byes with promises that they would visit PEI sometime in the near future.
We have discovered that a unique feature of RV camping is that it affords the opportunity to meet great folks, most who have retired. We have been very fortunate with this. Faye says the laundry room is a great place to meet like minded ladies while Paul talks it up with surf fishermen or anyone else he should happen to meet. Couples with 40 ft. Class A rigs are just as down to earth as couples towing 24 ft. trailers.
Today, March 16th we drove to Perry KOA RV Park in Perry, Florida arriving here in mid-afternoon. We thoroughly enjoyed camping at the Gregory E. Moore RV Park in Top Sails State Park having stayed for fourteen nights. It has been the best RV park experience so far on our journey.

Later…..