Meriwether Navigator Brittany Highland and Captain Eric Highland of RV Wanderlust
- Date: 06-16-2014
- Current City: Milton, FL
- Current Location: Clear Creek RV Park
- Site Number: 2
- Wi-fi Signal: Verizon - Low / AT&T - Medium / Campground Wi-fi - None
- Mission: Work week before the kids come for summer
- Compliment: 2 Officers, 1 Crew, 0 Guests
- Captain: Eric Highland
- Navigator: Brittany Highland
- 1st Mate: Trogdor the Burninator
- Guests: None
- Weather: Mostly Cloudy / 90°
- Precipitation: 30%
- Humidity: 65%
- Wind: 0 mph
- Fuel: 75 Gallons of Diesel - 3/4 of a tank
- Odometer: 102,485
- Generator Hours: 4612.1
- Estimated Date of Departure: Sunday, June 22nd
- Next Destination: Florida Caverns State Park
Special Orders: None.
Captain’s Remarks
14:04 - We made it to Florida!!!
We finally get to add Florida to our map!
Where the heck have we been? Well these past two weeks since the last Captain’s Log have been really busy and a lot of fun. When we last left off, we were in Galveston. Our faithful Navigator Brittany wrote about our adventures on Galveston in THIS GALVESTON POST which you should definitely take a moment to check out.
From Galveston we headed to New Orleans. We actually stayed in Belle Chase on the Joint Military Base which is about 20 minutes away from the French Quarter, but we managed to make it into town a few times. Brittany has written all about our New Orleans trip on THIS NEW ORLEANS POST.
See, we weren’t going to keep you hanging. Both Galveston and New Orleans were awesome!
We had also just taken on a new client and much of what used to be our free time to write these Captain’s Log updates has dwindled to the point where we’re so tired of seeing a screen by the end of the day that all we want to do is explore and play!
14:08 - *Warning boring odometer readings ahead* - There is definitely something wrong with our odometer. Our mileage leaving Austin to Galveston was 101,164. Arriving in Galveston it was 101,506. When we arrived in New Orleans from Galveston it was 102,113 and when we arrived at Clear Creek RV Park where we are now it was 102,485. Not sure what the story is, but something is definitely wrong.
Either way, Meriwether is running fine and currently we’re parked just outside NAS Whiting Field at Clear Creek RV Park. We are approximately 40 minutes from Pensacola Beach.
Note: Avoid I-10 in Mobile, AL like the plague. Unreal.
14:12 - Yesterday for Father’s Day we decided to make the trip out to Pensacola Beach. They are famous for their white sand beaches, and the beach did not disappoint! It was an awesome day!
We loved hanging out at the beach the weather was perfect and the water cool and refreshing.
After our beach time we headed to Peg Leg Pete’s, which I highly recommend if you like seafood! A very cool restaurant/bar with that whole beach feel to it. I had the snow crab and shrimp plate while Brittany got an oyster sampler that was pretty out of control.
A feast fit for a king at Peg Leg Pete’s in Pensacola Beach, FL
After this we headed to the Portofino Boardwalk to check out the little shops. Brittany picked up a postcard and that was about it. Oh, on the other side of the Portofino Boardwalk is Quietwater Beach. Which is a really great spot for parents with little ones. The water stays pretty flat and is shallow.
14:17 - Today we’ve been working all morning and afternoon. Brittany has had an issue with her military ID not scanning properly so we went into the ID office here at Whiting Field to rectify that.
Whiting has a lot to offer. 10 really nice RV spots with 50AMP service just outside the west gate. They have a large swimming pool, fitness facility, bowling alley, exchange and commissary, a golf course and even a catch and release pond.
Catch and Release Pond at Whiting Field.
It is one of the first places that naval aviators come to train after getting accepted to flight school. And maybe, just maybe one day they’ll get to fly one of these….
An F-18/A Blue Angels Aircraft on display at Whiting Field.
Remarks - While here in Florida, I passed a Fleet Reserve Association building and decided to join.
As usual, I was the youngest member to join in a LONG time. I hope other recent retirees like me see the value in organizations like the DAV and the FRA.
I’m thankful for how hard this group works to protect the enlisted ranks of the maritime services. It was a no-brainer to offer them my support. Incidentally I’m also a member of the Disabled American Veterans. As a 20 year veteran, I believe it is important to support these programs. What our men and women in uniform do each day is tough. I’m thankful that I can continue to give in some small way by paying annual dues for these memberships and being present at meetings and functions as I’m able. ~ E
Navigator’s Addendum
16:17 - We have really had an awesome past couple of weeks. I loved Galveston, I loved New Orleans, and I loved yesterday in Pensacola. Our next month with the kids is going to be insane as always, but we have some wonderful stops planned: Florida Caverns State Park, Orlando, St. Augustine, and the unknown (but probably Savannah)!
I was thankful to be able to shop at the commissary at NAS JRB New Orleans last week. The prices are definitely lower, especially on dry goods. I didn’t look at the meat too closely, but Eric said that’s where the best savings are.
The only downside are the irregular hours. That commissary was closed Mondays, and the one here at NAS Whiting Field is closed a couple days a week. It’s not a huge deal if you live here and are able to plan ahead (it’s probably still a pain), but I’m having a hard time keeping track as we pop in and out of cities!
All in all, working on getting organized for the weeks ahead and the additional responsibilities. It’s always a fun juggling act. -B
