American Victory Ship, Tampa, Florida

We went to tour the American Victory Ship in Tampa Harbor.  It is one of four fully operational WWII merchant ships in the country.  It was built in 1945 at the California shipyard and served in WWII, Korea, and Vietnam as a cargo vessel.  It circumnavigated the globe twice.  In 1999, it was towed to Tampa and underwent a $2 million restoration to become a world-class national memorial and museum.  It's mission is to honor the dedicated men and women who provided service during times of peace and war.  

American Victory Ship

A visit from Sandhill Cranes, Ruskin, Florida

The campground we are staying at (River Oaks, which right on the Manatee River) had a surprise visit this morning by three Sandhill Cranes.  They were near the dock for a while and the local cat was completely awed by them.  It sat pretty close to them and then one of the birds started flapping its wings to chase the cat away.  Not to be deterred, as the Cranes started walking through the park, the cat followed and looked like it wanted the birds for lunch. 

Duck Commander, West Monroe, LA

You may be wondering why we stopped our westward vacation and headed east. Our daughter called us while we were at Capitan, New Mexico to inform us that she had ovarian cancer and needed us in Florida ASAP. Needless to say, we put our vacation on hold and headed to Florida to help her through chemo. 

While making our way from New Mexico to Florida at the end of July, we found ourselves in West Monroe, LA for the night.  Jim happened to mention that he thought the Duck Commander headquarters was somewhere in the area, so I looked it up and low and behold, it was right in the same city we were staying. 

Smokey the Bear, Capitan, New Mexico

The true story of Smokey the Bear took place in Capitan, New Mexico.  Smokey was a small black bear who survived a fire in the Capitan Mountains and became the world's most well-known bear.  It is the birthplace and burial site of Smokey the Bear.  Smokey's story is factual although it might appear to be fictional.  In May 1950 a fire started in the Capitan Mountains, from a carelessly discarded cigarette butt.  

Lincoln Historic Site, Lincoln, New Mexico (The Legend of Billy the Kid)

While we were staying in Capitan, New Mexico we went to the old city of Lincoln, New Mexico. Lincoln is famous because in 1880 Pat Garrett was elected Sheriff of Lincoln County and is determined to bring in the outlaw William H. Bonney, famously known as "Billy the Kid."  

Sitting Bull Falls Recreation Area, New Mexico

Our first trip in the Carlsbad area  took us to Sitting Bull Falls.  Trip took about 45 minutes, about 35 miles on winding roads through the mountains. The water comes up from a spring and runs along the mountain top, dropping at Sitting Bull Falls, to travel along the mountain until it disappears under ground. The water felt good on our feet - cool but not cold.  The dogs loved the water and would have enjoyed being let off leash to run and play, but there were too many people there today.  Talked with the camp host and another National Forest employee who, as usual, tells us about applying for the job.  The drive there took us through open range land where we had to stop to let some cowboys on horses pass as they round up the cattle. 

Brantley Lake State Park, Carlsbad, New Mexico

We arrived at Brantley Lake State Park on Saturday, July 18, and luckily found a real nice spot with a lake view.  There is no grass in the area, just lots of rocks, cactus and other dessert vegetation.  We have a small spot to sit a couple of chairs and look out over the area, and a nice pavilion with a picnic table.  There is a short trail through the hillside that takes us down to the picnic area and boat ramp.  I worry about letting the dogs loose because there are scorpions and snakes all over the place.

Sitting area