DAY FIVE .. OFF TO PORT ST. LUCIE!!

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 21   

Headed to Port St. Lucie to visit with my son Tim and family .  Believe it or not the car was packed .. showers taken .. and we were ready to hit the road by 6:00 AM!! 

Last trip out of the parking garage ..

It was a little blurry but I thought you might enjoy the ride down .. LOL!!! 

You can tell it's early .. the sun is just now rising!!

 

 

 We stopped at McDonald's in Pawley Island, SC  for a quick Breakfast and a little time on the WIFI.   Temp was up to 47 degrees .. WOW!!!  Our friend Irene loaned us some audio books on CD and we brought them along for the trip .. after leaving McDonalds we decided it was time to put one in .. John Grisham .. The Last Juror.  Thanks Irene!! 

 

Once in a while we see a very small spot of snow .. other than that no snow .. no ice on trees .. just dead grass and dead looking trees!!! 

 Hmmm .. enough of John Grisham .. let's try Patricia Cornwell's "Blow Fly" ..

Aaaahhhhh .. much  better than John's story!!!    

8:29 ..  Stopped in Manning, SC  for gas 2.09!!   I95 at last .. GPS says 489 miles to Crosstown Parkway, Port St. Lucie .. ETA 4:29 pm.  Sun is shining .. temp is 39 ..  fir trees .. fir trees and more fir trees .. LOL!!!!   And notice the jet trails .. there's a whole sky full of them!!! 

9:34  Rest stop   .. Time to stretch the legs and wiggle the butts a bit!!!!  Picked up some Motel / Hotel coupon books for Florida.  

10:07 .. Almost to Georgia ... temp 58!!!  Trees looking greener!!  17 miles to Savannah!!!  Camera at the ready to catch that Welcome sign .. LOL!!! 

Arrrggghhhhhh .. missed the Georgia sign while taking a pic of Savannah River!!!

10:32 .. AAAHHHHH GEORGIA rest stop and welcoming area ..  welcome sign ... Yayyyyyyy!!!  Nice rest area. Free Coffee .. of course we'll take some!!!!  Temp 61!!!  Still a lot of Fir Trees along the roads but they look much better .. they're green instead of brown!!!!  Ken was watching the weather channel .. showing ice and snow all through Kentucky and Tennessee .. so glad we came through when we did!!!!!  According to posts on Facebook by Illinois friends snow and freezing rain there yesterday and last night too .. no word from Missouri family / friends yet!!!!

 

Passing Savannah .. one of these days we'll spend some time there .. SOMEDAY!!!!  Airport must be close.. just missed getting a pic of a plane .. looked like it was about 6 feet above the highway!!! 

360 miles to Crosstown Parkway .. 10:41.

 11:40 .. Rest Stop Grand Isles, GA.  Stopping at all rest areas to do a bit of moving around! Temp 63 but windy .. feels cooler than at the last rest area!!!  Next rest stop 44 miles .. may eat a picnic lunch there. 



 12:48 ... WE ARE IN FLORIDA!!!!  Welcome Center coming up ..

 

We were standing in front of the sign getting ready to take a selfie and a nice young couple walked up and the lady asked if we wanted her to take a pic .. of course we said yes!!  Then we took a picture of them with their camera!!

Free OJ .. of course we'll take some!!! 

A picnic lunch in Florida .. what more could you ask in February!!! 

 1:36 .. Stopped in Jacksonville for gas.  $2.28 a gallon .. YIKES!!!!   Dark clouds are  rolling in ..

 
2:30 ..  Skies are getting darker and darker.  120 miles to go to Crosstown Parkway. We're doing three miles over the speed limit and everybody is passing us!!!!

 

Rest stop 4:19 ..  Temp 70 .. Yayyyyy!!!  When I came back out of the bathroom there were Seagulls and other birds flying everywhere .. creepy!!!  Discovered a lady was throwing out Bread crumbs or something feeding them!!! 

 

And we're on the road again ..

 

And the rain comes down ..

Fort Pierce at last  .. and it's pouring rain .. and we discovered the hotel we wanted to stay in was FULL for the weekend!!!  We had decided we would stay at the Hutchinson Island Plaza hotel on the beach this time .. sad to say .. we did not call ahead and when we got they  had no rooms available and the hotel next to it was sold out also  ..  Ohhh Nooo ..  we had no idea this is Daytona 500 weekend .. YIKES!! 

We got on the GPS and found the nearest Cracker Barrel .. had some Supper and using the Florida coupon book as a phone directory for hotels started making calls to hotels in Fort Pierce and Port St. Lucie. On the 9th call we finally found a place with a few vacant rooms .. the Sleep Inn in Fort Pierce.  The girl I talked to was very nice and took our name and said she would hold the room until we got there.  It's a good thing we got hold of her when we did because there were people in front of us wanting rooms and behind us .. after about the 4th couple we heard her tell someone "sorry no more rooms"!!!

Blurry picture of the sunset but a great depiction of the way my nerves were jangling  by the time we got to the Sleep Inn and got all settled in!!!  It was fairly early .. about 7:30 PM but we were still too rattled to get out and do anything ..  called Tim to let him know we'd made it that far .. took a nice hot soak in the tub .. a little time with the laptop and a hot cup of Coffee .. and let my nerves settle!!!  Ahhhhhhhhhh!!!

  Lesson learned .. DO NOT come to Florida and expect to find a room the weekend of the Daytona 500 .. MAKE RESERVATIONS AHEAD!!!!