now for the "Hobbit" verison...there and back again

we started our adventure on the first saturday of spring break -

it was cold and raining and we didn't get off until after 5pm -

we drove through 3 states in pouring down rain and didn't reach the paul b. johnson state park outside hattiesburg mississippi to drop anchor until around 2am -

but the morning brought sun and happy faces

"going to florida - rock on!!!"

then it was off to FLORIDA!!!

through alabama and trucking - we reached

florida on sunday afternoon

i love the south!! the flowers were all in bloom and beautiful -

we saw every southern flowering plant known to mankind

wisteria, crepe myrtle, azalea, dog wood, magnolia...

we stopped in tallahasse - aka: the black hole - for some reason that town had a habit of sucking us in and taking hours away going in both directions! - maybe it's the time change - someone should do the research and get back to me on that! :-)

but after stopping there was no way we could reach our intended camping spot at the blue springs state park outside orlando without MAJOR sleep deprivation so we pulled into the

east tallahasee koa

the great thing about this is the boys got a much needed break from driving and i was able to get the laundry done

but - enough was enough - and we had mickey to go see - so off we went

and then - out of the blue

it was none other then.....

DISNEY!!!!!!!!!!

we stayed at the fort wilderness camp grounds in disney

and since it is a disney resort - you know it was done up right!!!!

here's our site - perfectly level - and oh-so clean!!

we even had a grapefruit tree next to our pad!!

the play ground was less maybe 50 yards away -

here's captain j.man on the s.s.playground

walk the plank you scallywag!!!!

now - as you know - we have been to florida the last two summers and have stayed in destin - so naturally the boys didn't understand that going to florida didn't necessarily mean going to the beach - so on the way home - daddy took us through destin to spend the night -

here is our entrance into destin

yep - i know.....

we reached the camp site that evening

(thanks aunt c for making the arrangements - you rock!!!)

but you know us crim's - coming in late won't stop the fun - we got the camper set up and headed to the beach -

unfortunately we only had one day to spend in destin so we got up early to fit it all in

first the beach - the boys couldn't wait to get in the water - and once their hearts stopped and they could no longer feel their fingers and toes - they said that the water wasn't really that bad!!!:-)

we also played on the playground...

and swam in the covered pool...

destin was an awesome stop - thanks daddy for the detour

on the way out of town daddy took me to eat seafood - which if you know daddy that was very generous because he hates seafood:-)

but - the restaurant was right next door to bass pro shops so he got a little boy time in too:-)

so then it was time to head home -

back through alabama...

and mississippi...

then into louisiana -

were we stopped outside baton rouge to stay at the lakeside rv park for the night

it was on - what the park owners called - a "12 acre lake" - but what we texans call a "stocked tank" :-) - the site was nice if not crowded and it's where we met midnight and snowflake the swans...

oh - isn't she sweet....

apparently i wasn't tearing the tortillas fast enough because

THE DAMN BIRD BIT ME!!!!!

i don't know about you - but i think she has a very self-satisfied grin on her wicked little beak!!

well - you get bit by a swan there is just one thing to do...

and that is to go home

YEAH TEXAS!!!!!

and i'm sure some of you have no problem what-so-ever believing that my super sweet friend lili and her family just happened to be in the area - so we even got to stop and eat dinner with them in tyler!!!:-)

we finally made it home 7 days and 4 hours later

we had a great time - and as daddy likes to say - we were...