AtlantaOutdoorClub
sponsor
Fri, May 23 2003 - Memorial Day Camping in Florida! (View Original Event Details)

Trip Leader(s): No Coordinators Found
Participants:Katherine Martin, , STACIA GESSNER, , Chris Jackson, Sharon Baldwin, Rodney Johnson, Susan Murphy, , Robert Morris, Keri Lubell, Rita Noonan, Michael Aubertine, Paul Noonan, Sarah Parker, Lisa Ferro, Kang Wang, Phil 'Foz' Parkerson, Tim Northy

Write Up:
Memorial Day weekend at Little Talbot State Park! I can’t believe no one else wanted to write up this wonderful, relaxing beach trip! I don’t mind though, because it was a great trip…. perfect in all ways (except for my sunburn….third degree, I think….worst I have ever had….). We were sure of rain that weekend, because they had been calling for rain all week….ugly pictures of thunderstorms from Thursday through the following Tuesday….not a very bright outlook for our camping trip. And on the drive down, we were convinced of it….6 hours of driving towards the ugliest dark gray clouds imaginable! And to prove the point, just as we arrived…raindrops on the windshield! We were dismayed, but decided not to let it faze us…every AOC trip this year has been threatened by rain….we weren’t going to let it bug us. We arrived at the most lush and beautiful campsite I have seen to date, under huge spreading oaks, dotted with short palm trees, everything dripping with Spanish moss. It was hot and muggy, as can be expected in Florida in May, and the mosquitoes were the size of birds….and MUCH more pesky. We sprayed ourselves down with bug spray, and started setting up camp, and preparing dinner. After a quick meal, as nightfall darkened the overhanging trees around us, we gathered around the campfire, eating s’mores and singing to the tune of one member’s guitar, Chris Jackson, an accomplished musician. Some of us took a walk on the beach, in order to admire the bright stars, and to enjoy the cool breeze coming off the ocean. Saturday morning we packed up immediately after breakfast and headed out to the beach, where we set up a canopy for protection from the sun, and settled in for a long relaxing afternoon. The water was perfect, nearly bathwater in warmth, with good waves, and the beach was not too crowded, giving us plenty of room to play some volleyball. This is, of course, where I burned myself to a crisp….a lobster…. We returned to camp for dinner, where we rallied and prepared a wonderful meal of grilled Mediterranean chicken and vegetables….yummy….! After another great night at the fire, some went to bed, while others sat up long into the night, trading war stories, etc. We were scheduled to go to St. Augustine on Sunday. Some went to the beach, while others joined us in this quaint old town. St. Augustine is one of the oldest cities in our country, and has an old fort and a large area, which was left in the original Spanish styling from the 1700’s. On our return we prepared for our Shrimp and Blue Crab Lo Country Boil….which was wonderful, of course….the shrimp in Florida are enormous, and reasonably priced! We piled the tables high with spiced mounds of shrimp, crab, potatoes, corn and lemons…served with crusty French bread….YUM! Another fun-filled night around the fire, and we went to bed, exhausted and satisfied, and a little sad that our little tropical vacation was coming to an end…..as they always do….a hearty breakfast in the morning, and we packed up camp, trying to beat the heat.
Written By: Katt Martin
Photos From: various