Florida is unique among the U.S. states: It has the longest coastline in the contiguous United States, approximately 1,350 miles.  It borders both the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico, and much of the state is at or near sea level, the highest point being 345 feet above sea level.  We chose to spend 3-1/2 weeks in February to explore the Sunshine State.

This trip was scheduled differently from our first RV trip last summer.  Then, we traveled as we pleased, stopping when it suited us, always finding a campground for the night.  This time around, we were tied to a schedule as we had made reservations for almost every night before we left Israel – and we were glad we did.  Most days, when we arrived at our home for the night, there was a sign saying “campground full” (except for those with reservations).

According to the news reports, Florida gets over a million new residents for the winter season, many of whom live in their large RVs in campgrounds for the entire season – a different version of snowbirds that own or rent condos and make Florida their home for the winter months.

The one time we did not pre-book was at the end of the trip, returning to Atlanta.  Driving from Florida through Alabama to Georgia during President’s Day weekend, we could not find an available campsite, so we just kept on driving until we reached the RV storage facility in Atlanta and slept there the last two nights.  The storage facility offers electricity and water hookups as well as complementary coffee, soft drinks, and packaged snacks (which happen to be kosher) during business hours.

Although the entire trip, down the eastern Atlantic coast, up the western Gulf coast, and across the Emerald Coast in the panhandle, was great, we especially enjoyed Shabbat in Delray, Key West (sun, fun, quirky), and the Everglades (an ecological system different from anywhere else in the world, where we were entranced by the large and many varieties of birds).  Add to that learning about American alligators and American crocodiles, throw in some incredible sunrises and sunsets, and you have the makings of an amazing trip.

The only down-side (and it worked out fine) was an Air France strike for one day – of course, on the day we were to return home.  Due, however, to the incredibly hard work and exhaustive efforts of Esther, our travel agent, we were able to get tickets on two United flights (Atlanta-Newark-Tel Aviv) – actually, a better combination and connection than the original flights.

As before, the following are a summary of our trip in pictures; we hope you enjoy.

Once again, thank you for joining us.