Manatee Springs State Park, Chiefland, Florida

Since we knew we were not going to get an early start from Titusville, we made reservations at Manatee Springs State Park in Chiefland less than halfway home. The park is beautifully shaded with a boardwalk near the springs. We enjoyed the chance to relax and had a repeat of the delicious chicken stir fry we had the evening before visiting my sister and brother-in-law enjoying a pool side chat at their home. This was the first day with no rain and no rain as we headed out the next morning to Wewahitchka to go fishing with Pam and Bob,

The clear springs

Our campsite at Manatee Springs State Park

Cyprus knees along the boardwalk

Sucker fish along the algae bottom

Cyprus forest

New floating dock at end of boardwalk

Interesting huge fungus on tree bark

Fungus along the hiking trail

Westland Marina Boatyard, Titusville, Florida

 We had heavy thunderstorms each afternoon and still managed to get our boat projects done. The Space X Launch was delayed for an hour due to lightening but we managed to set the alarm and get up for the ten minute countdown and the launch at 11:44 pm. We forgot about the bright street lights but managed to catch the rocket launch burning brightly through the clouds. It was convenient to avoid the traffic with the big crowds that descended early Monday morning to Sand Point Park next to the boat yard for the NASA Artemis launch to the moon. We walked through the park and over the Titusville Bridge closed to traffic and found a great spot on the bridge with the launch pad in view. They scrubbed the launch right at the original launch time so at least we weren't waiting for the two hour launch window. Next chance on Friday and Saturday.

Cutie Too parked in front of Dot's Way at Westland Marina

Space X rocket launch

View from the bridge railing with camera tripod and boaters across to Launch Pad

The bridge was lined with folks and bicyclist took our picture

Tents set up selling drinks, flags and commemorate boarding passes

Manatee Hammock County Park, Titusville, Florida

We loaded up Cutie Too and headed to Titusville to camp at Manatee Hammock County Park Campground while we worked on Dot's Way. We had reservations for three nights and then over the weekend we moved to Westland Marina Boatyard so we could stay over for the Space X launch on Saturday and the Artemis Launch on Monday morning.

Gorgeous jungle blooms at our site against the fence

Our campsite at Manatee Hammock

Great dock in the park and perfect views for launches from Cape Kennedy

West Point Lake Campground, West Point, Georgia

 It rained hard most of the night but luckily we had put everything in the car. We got a quick getaway around 7 am and drove down, down off the Blue Ridge Parkway. It started to rain as we continued out of North Carolina into Georgia. Our last night on the road was at West Point Lake. We found a great coffee shop along the way for a breakfast sandwich. It was a long travel day but the site at West Point Lake was beautiful and shady and we hooked up the air conditioning and fan for outside as we made potato nachos and mojo chicken wings in the air fryer for dinner. The black clouds and thunder moved in but we never got any rain. We made a frittata for breakfast in the air fryer as our two neighbors departed and we are seemingly all alone in the park.

Our last view of the Blue Ridge

Wonderful pull-through site with a deck at West Point Lake

Great outdoor kitchen spot

Evening visitor

At sundown

Sunset view from our bed

Mount Pisgah Campground on Blue Ridge Parkway, Canton, North Carolina

 We cooked breakfast at Crabtree Falls before heading down the Blue Ridge Parkway. We stopped for a hike to a summit overlook. The North Carolina Mountains to Sea trail runs along the parkway. The Folks Arts Center was a delightful gift store and museum of local art. It was a cloudy day driving in the clouds as we arrived at Mount Pisgah Campground. We set up camp and then hiked the trail to the Pisgah Picnic Area and then to the Pisgah Inn, Country Store, Inn, and Duck In Cafe. Adirondack  Chairs were set up along the ridgetop behind the restaurant. The rain started before dinner so we ate inside and listened to the rain most of the night.l

The museum distplay at the Folk Art Center

The gift shop at the Folk Art Center

Another beautiful overlook on Blue Ridge

We hiked to the top overlook

So many wildflowers

Trees and rocks intertwined

View from the top to the parkway

Along NC Mountain to Seas Trail

Tree sculpture

Bumblebee heaven

Up in the clouds

Beautiful vistas

Clouds covering the peaks

Fences along cliff sides

The falls were not running

Cutie in the clouds

Flowers and blue sky

 

Gorgeous butterflies

Legend to the view of the mountains

View from Pisgah Inn

Pisgah Campground warning

The best local beer

Our pull alongside campsite at Pisgah Mountain Campground

The rain started around dinner time and rained all night. We had a bear visitor we did not see that took our five-gallon sealed bucket and took it into the woods near the picnic table and dropped it after leaving a few bite marks. We ate a quick granola breakfast and hit the trail from the campground to the Frying Pan trail to the fire tower. We returned to the Pisgah Inn for beer and chips as the lunch options were limited. We then followed the Mountains to Sea Trail to the Pisgah Picnic Area and then to the Pisgah Peak trailhead hiking across the top of the tunnel to Buckhead Lodge overlook and then back to the Pisgah Inn. We hiked about 12 miles before the black clouds dumped rain on us as we returned to camp and went in for the night.

Up too the fire tower

Up in the clouds

Iconic Mount Pisgah

Beautiful hardwood forest covered in lichen

Bunny rabbit visitor

The trail from Buckstone Lodge

Last remnants of Vanderbilt mansion

Spectacular colors on butterflies

Last of the blooming rhodendron

View from the fire tower