The rainbow gathering in Ocala, Florida was coming to an end, and it was time to hit the road again. I wasn’t on my own anymore though; my new buddies Mitchell and Fez were now traveling with me. Mitchell has a live-in bus he has converted, and Fez normally backpacks. The three of us created our own little crew. While living on the road, we don’t have our friends and family that we regularly see, so we make new ones out here. People grow very close quickly. The three of us turned into a little family that looked out for each other.
It was a hot day when we left, so we wanted to head to the ocean. Since Fez knows this area, he took Mitchell and I to a cute little beach nearby. I went for a quick swim, we laid on our towels, and all watched the sunset together before heading to a Walmart parking lot to sleep. That evening the three of us piled onto Mitchell’s bus and we watched a movie together. We called it family movie night. Normally Fez would pick the movies because he knew all the good ones. I have always loved family movie nights and these were no exception.
The next day Fez took us to explore the caves of Florida. He took us to a spot called Dames Cave. There was a little trail with caves scattered throughout the woods. The first one we came to was at the base of a tree. I could look down into the cave from up top; it looked like it was just a giant hole right in the ground. Off to the side was another hole that created an entrance where we could climb down into the cave. It was steep so I had to carry Maggie down the rocks. As soon as we entered the cave the air changed drastically; it was so much cooler, which was a nice change after our hot, sweaty hike. The walls of the cave were splattered with all sorts of graffiti.
At the edge of the cave wall, on the ground, was a tiny opening. It was so small that I had to take off my backpack and army climb through, but on the other side was another large cave. We all had to use a flashlight to see. There were a few different openings that led to different little hidden caves that we took the time to explore.
We walked down a wooded trail and investigated caves as they popped up. The forest around us looked like a jungle. I’m not used to palm trees in the woods, and it made the place seem even more magical than it already was. One cave we came across had a big rock in front of it so the climb down was tight; I barely managed to squeak through. It opened to a small cave room where I found another little opening off to the side. I squeezed through that into another small, dark cave. I didn’t bring a flashlight this time so I had to go by feel. In every cave I found another opening. Eventually I was worried that if I went any farther, I would be lost in the caves forever. I turned around and felt my way back through the damp, tight caves until I saw the light and was able to climb out to where the boys were waiting for me with Maggie.
Our plan that night was to head to Clearwater, Florida. Mitchell used an app to find a parking lot that we could park in overnight. Once we got there, the three of us set off exploring the town.
After a bit of walking around we noticed a big, grassy area under a bridge. There was a long dirt road that led down to the place, and it was surrounded on three sides by water. There was an open gate at the end of the dirt road. We didn’t see any “no parking” signs, so we went back to the vehicles and moved them to this beautiful spot: our new waterfront home with our own private beach for the next few days. I immediately had to go for a swim.
It was late and Fez decided to go to bed, but Mitchell and I wanted to go out exploring. It slightly drizzled on and off, but it was warm out so we didn’t care. We were on a mission to walk to Clearwater beach on the ocean. We eventually made it and walked down to where the water hit the sand and our bare feet. Eventually Mitchell went to check his phone, only to realize it was no longer in his pocket. I called it with my phone and no one answered, but I instantly got a call back from a number I didn’t recognize. Two girls had found his phone half in the water on the beach, and wanted to get it back to us. We are so lucky that it was found by good people. They told us of a restaurant where we could meet, and we went to find them. Their names were Sommer and Kennedy. They gave us back the phone, telling us it only partially worked because of the water, and we all talked for a while. At one point they noticed my rings and said: “Oh, we have rings too; let’s all trade!” I had two rings that I was willing to part with and gave them each one, and they gave me theirs in return. One of the rings I received was a beautiful sterling silver piece that had a clear quartz in the center. I loved both of my new rings.
Mitchell and I continued on our adventures in the rain. At this point it was much more than just a drizzle, but we kept exploring. Eventually we came to a hotel that had a pool, and I really wanted to swim. Luckily for me, Mitchell was down. We hopped the fence and took a dip in the heated pool. As lovely as it was, we both wanted to go in a hot tub. I used my phone to google nearby hot tubs, and there was one just a few minutes walk from where we were. Once there, I hopped the fence, then pushed a button from the inside that opened the gate so Mitchell could just walk in. We spent the rest of the night going back and forth between the hot tub and the pool.
The next morning Fez cooked us a delicious breakfast of eggs, veggies and pork. He enjoyed cooking, so he cooked every single meal for us and did all the dishes while we were together. He's an amazing travel companion and cook. We all spent the morning just relaxing at our spot.
The bus had run out of water, so they boys planned a mission that day to go out and fill it up. I needed some alone time so I stayed back. I spent my time reading and painting. I’ve come to really love painting. Maggie wandered freely about our little “yard” and hung out on the beach.
Once the boys returned we all hung out and relaxed in the lawn. Mitchell went fishing and fez cooked us a lovely dinner.
The next day we figured we had better leave our cute little spot. The gate that was open when we first arrived had now been closed. Even though it had a big lock on it, it was left unlocked and we were able to move the gate and pull out. We were headed to Treasure Island to go to the drum circle on the beach. As we walked down the street towards the beach, Fez told every person we passed that he liked their socks. Since they clearly had no socks on and were wearing sandals, it had me laughing every time. Most people also laughed and thought it was funny, although a few looked at us as if we were crazy.
When we arrived at the beach and started walking into the sand, a man pulled up and asked if we were going to the drum circle. We told him we were, and he said he was too, but couldn't find a close parking spot. He wondered if in exchange for some bracelets and necklaces, would we sit with his belongings, a table and his jewelry, while he parked and then help him carry it to the beach? I thought it was a great trade! Once we got on the beach, he gave Mitchell and I each three bracelets and Fez a cool gemstone necklace. He also gave me a handful of bracelets to pass out to whoever I wanted at the drum circle. It was a nice way to meet people there. The three of us and Maggie all sat on a towel, enjoying the drum circle as people danced all around.
That night we drove over to Vinoy Park in St. Petersburg to park for the night. Fez was tired so he went to bed, but Mitchell and I wanted to go out exploring again. We wandered all around St. Pete. I found a huge, beautiful Bombax tree. It had twisted and turned as it grew. Of course we had to climb such a massive beauty, and the big limbs seemed to invite me up, making it an easy endeavor.
The next day Mitchell and I explored the beaches and nearby parks. The ocean water was surprisingly warm, and Maggie loved running through the salty water. We explored through a garden that had multiple different kinds of palm trees and exotic plants. It was even more amazing to me since I still wasn’t used to palm trees.
The next morning Fez woke me up bright and early to see the sunrise over the ocean. We sat on a little cement wall, chatting as the sun came up. It looked like a tiny pink speck in the sky. Dolphins dove out of the water as it rose, as if to say, isn’t life beautiful. It was the perfect start to the day.
It was a day of exploration. Fez and I walked about the town seeing what there was to see until Mitchell woke up and joined us. That night Mitchell and I wandered about the town too. We played in fountains and found our way into fun little places that we technically weren’t supposed to be, which of course added to the fun.
The next day Fez decided it was time for him to part ways. He was eager to get out of Florida, and normally traveled at a faster pace than Mitchell and I. All the sitting around and hanging out was starting to make him antsy. I was sad to see him go, but knew it was time. I also knew I would see him again at some point, but boy, was I going to miss him and this little road family the three of us had created.
Mitchell and I spent the day relaxing on the beach and swimming in the ocean. When we got back to our vehicles, our friends Kaptin Bubz and Jen, who we had met on our travels, had parked their bus right near ours. They had multiple boxes of food piled outside. They told us they had gotten it for us. Another traveler had sold his car and was going to throw all his food away. They took what they needed, then grabbed a bunch for us. We were so grateful to have our cupboards full. We spent the evening hanging out with our two friends. They taught us many tricks for surviving on the road, and we even got a little concert from Bubz on his ukulele. It was the perfect way to wrap up our time in Florida. We were about to head off again, on to our next adventure in New Orleans, for Mardi Gras.
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