On to Florida!

     Our excitement over adding Florida to our map was even higher because we had plans to meet up with a family we had met at the balloon fiesta last year. We are constantly meeting new people but every now and then you make a special connection and the Schroeder's certainly were that for us! 

     Nicole and I both spent ridiculous amounts of time trying to find us a place to stay. We both prefer boondocking but our options were basically zero since we are on the east coast. The few campgrounds that had availability were asking around $50 a night by the time all the taxes were added! 

     

     They introduced us to Boondockers Welcome, "Where locals invite travelers to spend the night, share their stories, and save their money for real adventures." For only $30 a year we had access to hundreds of places that the hosts allows RVer's to park on their property. They are not allowed to charge for parking but can ask a small fee be paid if they offer water, electric or a dump station. In return, for every confirmed stay, the host earns 3 free months. It's perfect for part-time travelers! They can choose how many rigs at a time and how many nights you can stay as well.

     In Florida our host was a very kind older man who showed us where to park in his yard then let us alone for our 2 night stay. We enjoyed his beautiful bushes and flowers surrounding his yard.

It started raining so we both put our awnings out and had a great shelter!

Meanwhile, inside the Schroeder's rig, Zack (16) was keeping his brother and our boys VERY entertained. 

It's amazing how much you can tear around and not break anything. Meanwhile, the girls were hanging out with Lexi (13) and being very nice and calm 😊.

Playing ball in the meadow behind our rigs.

Ethan was so happy when Dustin pulled out a bat for him to use too.

Our yard.

Our little slugger.

Our big project was making gumbo. It took about 3 hours to chop and stir everything but I'd say it turned out!

     It was impressive to watch the torrential downpours that happened several times but the soil was so sandy it just drained away and made no mud! Also impressive was the tiny ants that bit like big ones! Our highlight was spending time with Dustin and Nicole (and kids). It was a huge blessing to spend a few hours with other believers and having uplifting conversation!