Where Have We Been in 2023?
Florida to New Mexico, Winter 2023 Trip Logs
The BurntFrog travel adventures continued as we readjusted our route to include yet another rocket launch at Kennedy Space Center before we turned our 25-foot Lance travel trailer toward the Florida panhandle and onward to the Southwest.
CONTENTS
Florida, January 2023
Hiking around Ocala Nat'l Forest; wrapping up 2022 with family, great food, fun and games. Kicking off the New Year, we search for manatees and enjoy a heart-warming experience at the Homosassa Wildlife Park. Of course we hit some more trails, this time in the Withlacoochee State Forest.
Back to Florida's Space Coast, January 2023
A change in SpaceX’s flight schedule lures us back to Kennedy Space Center for an extra-special launch and recovery. On the way we discover a secluded campground tipping the scale for spaciousness and another Florida wildlife refuge continues to delight with exotic fauna.
Florida Panhandle, January 2023
The original trip in progress continues with a return to Mark and Leslie’s where we collect various and sundry goodies ordered online for the new truck. We then bid a fond farewell to family and horses in High Springs and begin our exploration of the Florida panhandle with a lighthouse, varied - and unexpected - wildlife, and the best southern cookin’ we’ve tasted so far.
The Gulf Coast, February 2023
Our Gulf Coast sojourn continues westward where we experience a less-than-stellar meal at a Harvest Host location; a campground right on a battlefield; another not-so-stellar southern delight from Winn Dixie; and how the little towns around New Orleans were affected by Hurricane Katrina.
TX Gulf Coast, Feb/Mar 2023
Boca Chica’s SpaceX facility is the ultimate goal of this leg, although the window for a possible launch won’t open until mid-March, so we’re taking our sweet time exploring the Gulf Coast. However, lovely little Jacqui’s health is becoming a larger issue, causing a few diversions for vet visits.
South Texas, March 2023
Hopes of watching a spectacular Starship launch were dashed. SpaceX was still adding the finishing touches to shielding on the launch pad, so no launch for us. However, other experiences here in South Texas certainly made the trip worthwhile.
Central Texas, March 2023
We galloped along on a NW heading through central Texas in just 8 days. Not our usual leisurely pace. We really enjoyed a couple of fine Harvest Host overnighters, a brewery and a vineyard, as we hustled through the Lone Star State's midsection.
New Mexico, March 2023
Wild springtime gales provided the perfect excuse to explore indoors. We discovered a couple of really cool museums and learned a huge wide range of stuff about life 13,000 years ago and about music in the 1950s.
More New Mexico, April 2023
To avoid huge winds on the plains we ducked into the Pecos River Canyon where we enjoyed a nice morning hike around the canyon rim. Interpretive trail signs taught us more about the early inhabitants who were unwittingly embroiled in the Texas-US-Mexican land grab.