Trimble Park Mt Dora Fl.

The ocean is behind us – we’ve headed west, going inland to another collection of beautiful bodies of water – calm, fresh water lakes bordered by cattails, palmetto, palms and pines!  Lake County Florida is famous for it’s chains of lakes!  Here it is: SPFB – See Previous Florida Blogs!  And – if you want to see our photos better – click on them once to enlarge!

Lake Beauclair

Trimble Park Campground is on the very northern edge of Orange County and occupies the peninsula between two of those beautiful

lake Carleton

lakes - Lake Beauclair and Lake Carleton.  These lakes are joined to Lake Dora and several more lakes by canals or rivers!  One year we put H’s portaboat in Lake Dora and followed the Dora Canal thru to Eustis Lake and one winter we flew in the DeHaviland Beaver seaplane - up and over ALL of the lakes below!  That was a thrill to remember!!  The sound of that low rumbling engine would always signal when the “Beaver” was about to fly over the park!  Check the blog for Feb 3, 2016 and also March 8, 2015.

That neat old plane no longer comes from Minnesota each winter to fly out of Mt Dora.  In nearby Tavares, The Seaplane Capitol – seaplanes are still buzzing overhead or plowing thru the water trying to gain speed and then altitude!   The day we visited the lakeside park in downtown Tavares, we paused to enjoy the

sunshine and watch one of the planes for hire, load it’s passengers and then slowly wheel down the boat ramp, into the water until the mounted wheels were

submerged and the sturdy craft was afloat on it’s large pontoons.  The spinning prop, balanced on the tip of its nose, propelled it down the waterfront to turn and then charge back up the lake till it finally lifted itself up out of the water and climbed higher into the blue sky.  Twenty minutes later it floated down out of the sky and slowly returned to the boat ramp.  Reviving its engine, it slowly climbed the steep incline back to dry land.

Apopka Lake is still polluted.  The North Apopka Lake Trail is still open each weekend.  The day was sunny and almost warm when we chose to drive along the 11 miles of one lane, one way gravel road - out and thru the 20,000 acres of farmland returned to wetland area.  The speed limit was 10mph but H has trouble going that slow – especially when someone in front of him would stop in the middle to take pictures of yet another black lump of gator.  “How many pictures of gators do you need?” - was his normal query.  I managed to snap ONE more picture!!  Flocks of various ducks,

including these Blue Winged Teal – were everywhere - along with Coots, Gallinule, Blue Heron, Egrets, Ibis, Hawks and Osprey!

Since Lake Carlton was only 20 feet from our big back window we also enjoyed the usual plethora of God’s winged creatures.   Each day the group (flock) of swamp chickens (Ibis) paraded up and down the shoreline with their long curved beaks skimming the water looking for tidbits to snack on.  Blue Heron, Egret and a little Tri-colored Heron took their turns too!  

Each time we are fortunate enough to stay in Trimble Park, the sound of the resident owls greeted us – every day and every night!  “Who-cooks-for you? Who-cooks for you” was heard and the

responding “Who-whoo” would come back, but the ones calling out were never seen!  On this visit, H was sitting outside, catching some sun, and called me to come out – the owl was sitting up in the tree that arched over our neighbors trailer!  As I snapped picture after picture – the Barred Owl above us just watched as I walked around his perch high in the tall live oak.

Yes – we have eaten well – seafood at The Catfish Place in Apopka is always on the “to do” list.  Capt D’s in Winter Garden and The Whales Tail in Eustis.  We even snuck in a Pizza Hut once!!   We’ve been to the big flea market on the 441 bypass of Mt Dora but the only thing H got there is a bad cold!  NOT GOOD.

H has gotten to fly his drone while in Trimble Park.  While we

waited to be allowed to park on our campsite he flew it up high over the tall live oaks at the picnic area. He also flew it up and out over Lake Carleton later in the week.  It looks like he was buzzing close over those two kayakers  - but they were our neighbors!!

We’ve been blessed by making more new friends at each campground where we have stayed.  In Manatee Hammock, our new friends were Sandy and Bill.  Here in Trimble Park it was Fred and Jean from Minnesota. The four of us seem to have a LOT in common – from boating to biking and camping!  Too bad F’s bike of choice has the initials HD!  We like him anyway!!

Our eight days at our FAVORITE Trimble Park are complete and it’s time to move on.   We’re moving to another FAVORITE Orange County Park –Moss Park.   This reservation had to be in my name because if we used H’s name it would put us over the 2-week (14 days) limit stay in the Orange County parks.  We need eight days more!  Do the math - - 8 days at Trimble +8 days at Moss = 16.