Mt. Dora Area

Trimble Park, in Tangerine Florida is just outside of Mt Dora where the “mounts” are just slightly rolling hills.   But – the shops downtown do have tee shirts that proudly proclaim, “ I Climbed Mt Dora”!   Trimble Park is yet another one of OUR favorite Orange County Parks and is run way better than all the rest!  We considered ourselves lucky to get a spot there this year.  Of the 15 sites in the park, 8 are lakefront sites, 4 back up to the small run that divides the group camping and picnic area from the campground itself.  3 sites are not on any water at all.  Last time here we managed to secure the PRIMO sight but this year we parked on site #3 on the run.  Next to us was a great couple from New York.   Down the way were Maine, W Virginia, Michigan and Connecticut – besides the local Floridians.  Of the 8 occupied campsites – there were 3 Portabotes!  Our bikes were never unfolded but we got our exercise in by walking the park’s perimeter.

The park is a peninsula lined with Cypress Trees, each surrounded by its myriad of up and coming roots called “knees”, shaggy Palms and leaf-dropping Live Oaks.  Azaleas and Redbuds are starting their blooms.  The shallow waters are full of aquatic growth and hungry wading birds!   All day long we listened to cardinals, and all sorts of chirping or warbling birds that were flitting too fast for us to get a focus on.  There were Egrets and Herons and we think we even heard a complaining gator in the weeds of the run!

 

Mt Dora is a delightful little town on the other side of the lake.  The calm basin of water is home to a marina that dresses to the hilt at Christmas time and a lovely peninsula with a big “Welcome to the Port of Mt Dora” sign complete with a Mark Twain saying, a collection of large metal benches to rest on or watch wonderful sunsets from, a stately red and white striped lighthouse and a string of public docks.

 

 At the docks were moored a half dozen small craft that looked like 2 surfboards lashed together with seats on top and an oversized Evinrude outboard engine secured on the aft.  Their crew was there also – booking tours of the small adjoining lakes and the Mt Dora Canal. (Go back and see the pictures from our December time in this area!)  H looked at them droolingly for a bit and may have been tempted to see about booking a tour but that thought passed quickly!   While H was studying the boats, I was enthralled by a large white Egret who didn’t like me in his space.   I pushed his patience too far by trying to get closer and closer to those mile high black skinny legs and long lacey tail feathers!   With a big squawk, off he flew!

Saturday is flea market day!  In December, it was raining and cold so the outdoor vendors were closed so we made a return trip to give them a chance at our dollars.  And we needed more tomatoes!    I still have not found Staci’s plate that is on my search list but I did find another addition to my “village”!  On Sunday as we were out on a Home Depot and Joann mission, we passed several Model T Fords that were chugging along the roadway!  As we passed the open field next to the flea market, we noticed a plethora of other vintage Fords!   We were driving a Ford so felt compelled to pull in and inspect them!  The years ranged from 1909 thru the 20’s!  There were racecars, 2 seaters, 4 seaters, rods and even trucks!   Yellow, purple, orange, dark green, bright blue and bright green vehicles were interspersed with the shiny black, gray and taupe ones!  Some were pretty rough and some were loaded down with gold or brass adornments!  According to the license plates they hailed from as far away as California and Maine with several other states in between.   But enough - this Ford is ready to move a bit more north.

Titusville to Blue Springs

Shuttle booster rockets

Since we got the Delta 4 launched, the very next day we drove out to Merritt Island and checked out the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, where the rocket boosters for the shuttle Atlantis stand tall and proud.  Last year we posted pictures of the full sized model of the Atlantis that is just down the road at the other NASA museum! 

  Heading south and across another causeway we found ourselves in Port Canaveral - the business hub of the hard working international port.   Oh, yeah, there are several good seafood restaurants here, including Rusty’s where we ate with L&D!  On this day tho, we ate at the “Smokehouse”.   On a long ago trip, we had smoked fish tacos here!   This time we split a smoked salmon taco.    It was strange but good!  We found the Exploration Tower that Louie and Dave had told us that we “MUST” see and explore.  The back of the 7-story building looks like the nosecone of one of the retired space shuttles. H thinks it looks like a big spinnaker sail!  What do you think?  The front is glassed-in layers of exhibits and information about the Port and the Cape called Canaveral.  The third floor is a theater with very comfy stadium seating.   When you first enter the room, the entire front expanse is floor to ceiling windows that overlook the harbor and Merritt Island beyond.   As the program begins, full width shades silently lower along with the movie screen.  As instructed, after the informational movie we went up to the 7^th floor and got our first hand magnificent view.   The tall white NASA Assembly Building was just barely visible on the horizon.  Two cruise ships were still moored at their home docks.  You could see more heavy storm clouds pushing their way over the area.    On the 2^nd floor, a massive mobile of bright blue whales, pink jelly fish and green and white bubbles dangles over the open area in the middle of the building.  The mobile is made out of recycled plastic junk collected from the ocean!  At the ocean end of the Port is Jetty Park, another campground where H used to camp but has become quite upscale and charges now to just drive into their grounds.  We did find out that you can ride a bike or walk in for free, but where to park your vehicle is the big problem then! 

  The beach was calling and we found the Cocoa Beach Fishing Pier with its eclectic collection of billboards and shops perched on weathered beams, stretched out into the crashing waves of the Atlantic.  We parked at a small dead end road a block away, put a quarter in the meter and walked the beach to the pier because the parking lot at the base of the pier now charges $10!  

On Sunday, more storms threatened but thankfully for us, their heaviest parts went north of us. Unfortunately for the folks at the Daytona Speedway, it hit them.  By now, everyone knows that - and that Dale Jr finally won his race!

On to Blue Springs State Park in Orange City!  This park has the biggest spring on the St Johns River and is called the Winter Home of the Manatees. It is just as neat as I remembered from 20 years ago when I first started flying to Florida to camp with H.  The park is in a “hammock” which means forest or the Indian word for “shady place”. The last time we were here I walked the boardwalk that rims the clear blue run at dawn and lost count of manatee at 45.  It has been warmer lately so the count was only 6 and a baby, 2 alligators, 2 eagles, a heron, a plethora of fish including some invasive nesting Tilapia and, as always, the required amount of cormorants.   The standard alarm clock in the park is a loud “cheery” cardinal!   I’ve met some really nice early risers on this last “before breakfast walk”, including folks from California, Ontario, Pennsylvania, Illinois and Cherrie and David, full timers from Virginia! Sherrie grew up in Dayton and her father retired from NCR!  The license plate on the front of their motorhome and tow vehicle says “RV DREAM”!  And they are livin’ the dream!  Oh - and S blogs, too!    We got our laundry done and some local exploration in before H finally decided he should walk to the spring also.  With the sun high over the clear water, the shades changed to a deep blue at the headsprings and at its mouth where it meets the northbound currant of the St Johns River.  The park was full of school buses and their hoards of excited, color-coded kids who streamed from their confines.  Where the kids weren’t – the seniors were!   It was time to retreat once more to our peaceful “condo” and get ready for our next move.    Trimble Park awaits.

Blue Spring

The Space Coast

The heavy gray storm clouds chased us all the way to Melbourne.  We were safely inside the Super Flea Market when the deluge began.  And thankfully – ended!   Our only exciting purchases were tomatoes, cukes and sweet onions.  No dishes, no gnomes and no toys.  I ALMOST purchased a super cool fire engine for the gnome village but not for the price they wanted for that cookie jar!   Oh well.   Another time, another flea market!

Wickham Park is one of H’s favorite parks because its big, lots of places to ride bikes, 2 small lakes, close to a lot of things (shopping and restaurants!) and the beautiful beaches nearby – that and he’s been coming to this park for eons!   However, each year, by the time that we’ve been there a week, the goofy set up of the park gets on OUR nerves.   We had heard that improvements had been made so we tried it again.   Their “improvements” didn’t make diddly squat difference - just allowed lots more big rigs to be parked wall to wall.   The once nice bathhouse in “A” loop was still surrounded by uneven sites like a pizza cut into way too many slices.  But – we lucked out and got a very nice site on the outside of that circle and had a good view of the little nearby pond and of the Frisbee golf field and lakes and spaces beyond!   Bobbie and Terry next door were from Tennessee and had even eaten at Golden Girls Restaurant where we usually meet Steve and family.  R&N were on the next loop over and I did get to hug n’ chat.  We passed each other as we were coming and going from the park!   N and I went to the sewing group on Tuesday and helped make pillowcase dresses with the ladies!  Twice, we parked the truck out on Melbourne Beach and ducked our heads to avoid the overhanging Mangrove trees as we crossed the dark boardwalk and entered the blazing light of the sunny beaches beyond.  My favorite beach in Melbourne has huge flat slabs of porous rock that are submerged when the tide is in.  We would start our walk near the tall skinny vertical domino of a building that is the Radisson Hotel.  

We would stroll for a while and then reverse our steps.  When we began our walk, the rock slabs were under the water.  When we returned, they were exposed and the bright white crashing waves either rolled gently over them or just tiptoed around them – sometimes leaving a small treasure of shells on the damp sand as they slip back to the deeper waters to start all over again!   One day we closed the 20-mile gap between Melbourne and Cocoa Beach and went to visit Lois and Dave at their winter condo.  A seafood buffet at Rusty’s, up on the Port Canaveral Inlet did the job of fulfilling our constant desire for seafood.  Especially since it was enjoyed while sitting on their wide deck that overlooked the blue water and the boats that cruised up and down.  There were even several mammoth cruise ships, waiting for their new influx of excited passengers, moored just up the way.    Our 4 days went really fast!

Black Point Wildlife Refuge

We moved up the coast, past Cocoa and past the causeway to the NASA complex that is out on Merritt Island.  In Titusville, our new home for the next few days was to be Manatee Hammock, another Brevard County Campground.  Once set up on our leaf strewn, rocky corner lot, we took off and headed out to Merritt Island to find the Black Point Wildlife Refuge. The single lane shell rock road curved and wound thru grasslands and swamps that were home to birds of all kinds.  Although we didn’t see many, we had a good time scouring the ponds and creeks for them. We figured it was too hot or the wrong time of day.  We stopped at the observation post and walked out to it and climbed up the flight of wooden steps to view the vast horizon.  We saw the bright blue truck parked in the lot at the other end of the long path!  

Delta 4 launch

  That evening about 8:30, we headed to the park’s dark waterfront and the long fishing pier.  Just like everyone else in the campground, we were hoping to see the launch of the Delta 4 Rocket that the Air Force was sending to space.   Its payload was a 4800 lb new GPS Satellite.  The window of launch time was from 8:40 to 8:59pm.  We all patiently waited in the windy night air with our eyes fixed on the light emitting from the launch pad across the vast black Indian River. With one minute to spare, the skyline exploded with light and the bright glow rose to the heavens, leaving a trail of wispy smoke behind it!  Not as awesome as a shuttle launch but it was still exciting, nonetheless!

More adventures to come!

OH! By the way - the spider in Moss Park was a Spiny Backed Orb Weaver!

Moss Park Orlando, Fl

What is it ?

Remember - when we move, we ALWAYS stop for breakfast on the way.  This day’s journey was 100 miles so breakfast was a MUST!  Steak and Shake on the corner of I 95 and Fl Rt 60 fit the bill.  We had just ordered and were beginning to enjoy our first cup of coffee when H looked up towards the door and saw an apparition!  He thought he saw his Aunt Ruth’s dear neighbor from down in Del Ray Beach!   It was!  We were not anywhere near Del Ray Beach and Aunt R has been gone for at least a half dozen years.  But it was Sherrie!  What a hoot!  She and her friend ended up in the booth next to us and we spent the next chunk of time reminiscing and telling stories on each other!  I remember eating my breakfast and it was good but I was too busy chatting to tell you what I had.

It was 69 degrees at 8 00am when we left Phipps Park in Stuart - sunny and bright!   By the time we reached the edge of SE Orlando the sky was gray and the temps had dropped to 59 degrees.   A sign of things to come?  Yes!  More rain that night and next day and a heavy downpour and thunderstorm clamored across the area later in the week.   Between storms however, the week was GORGEOUS!   The little boat came off of its pedestal on the top of the truck and we soaked up some sun and enjoyed the calm waters of Lake Hart and then Lake Mary Jane!  The gentle breeze was so light that the ripples on the lake were no more than goosebumps on ones arm.  We crossed to the far side of Lake Hart and around the edge for a bit, enthralled with the size of the new “castles” being erected on that shoreline, before crossing back over and gliding thru the tall grass lined canal that fed into the lake from Moss Park.  The small river/canal that divides the two lakes and cuts thru Moss Park is still lined with the always present, droopy armed, moss ladened live oaks.  The boat launch docks shone in the bright sun while the rest of the canal resembled a jungle!  Lake Mary Jane, on the other end, is the lake we see at the back of our campsite and from the long fishing pier/dock that stretches way over the swamp grass where the Sand Hill Cranes make their nests and hatch their adorable chicks! 

One day, we rode our bikes up to the front of the campground.  I was mailing Raegan’s birthday card and H was heading off with his metal detector to look for more “toys and trucks”.   I noticed a white motorhome that looked kind of familiar, parked by the gatehouse.  A petite lady exited the gatehouse and entered the rig.  Now, I KNOW my eyes were foggy but it sure looked like Bobbie – our dear friend whom we had met, along with her husband Gene, in Moss Park – YEARS ago!   Gene has since gone on to be with his Lord, but we were to be meeting Bobbie for lunch when she was to be down visiting family.  Instead of going to her daughter’s home – she had chosen to come camp next to us!   Had we ridden our bikes 5 minutes earlier or 5 minutes later – we would not have seen her then, and she may not have found us later!  The 3 of us then called George, our other dear friend who used to be the resident campground host and wildlife photographer of Moss Park.   He is now wintering at another camp, so we all met for lunch at our favorite, Catfish Place.    B then picked up her sweet granddaughter, Rachel and we 3 ladies got to spend some great “girl time” together – knitting, playing cards, walking, collecting firewood and making s’mores over a great campfire that H had built!   On our last day together, H found the most remarkable vertical spider web and the weirdest spider that we have ever seen!  This strange little creature was black and spotted on his front and legs but his broad half inch white back had red spikes and looked like it had a black face painted on it.  If George were here, he would know what it was!

It’s now Friday afternoon.  Blooms number 7 & 8 on the Amaryllis are faded and gone.  Fake flowers are now planted around her base.   B & R have hooked up their little Honda to the motorhome and have pulled out.  The weekenders are already beginning to pull in and fill up our weeks full of peaceful, empty spaces.   And it’s a four-day weekend – we gotta get out of here!    We’re going to Melbourne to see what’s new at Wickham Park.

Check it out ,one little spider

St. Lucie canal

This next leg of our winter journey took us cross-county past cattle pastures to Stuart.   Florida St Rt 714 had a tunnel of trees that reminded both of us of the tunnel of trees in Cross Village Michigan.  The live oaks and cypress trees crossed their Spanish moss draped fingers over us for several miles.

Luckily H got us a spot in the St Lucie Lock campground, but it was only for one night.   Do I need to say “SPFB”?   Out of the 9 campsites there, folks from Michigan occupied 4 of them.   It was a friendly group that spent “Happy Hour“ together that day and we even kept in touch after we moved around the corner to the Phipps County Park for the rest of the week.  In Phipps Park our site backed right up to the St Lucie Canal and as always the view of all the passing vessels was neat to see.   If they had to wait for the lock to open, they would hover right in front of us!   With all the rain that Florida has had in the last few months, there is concern about Lake Okeechobee getting to high – after all, it is 13 feet above sea level  - and rising.  15 feet and the authorities really get panicky we were told!  For several days the TV news was full of the controversy over releasing too much of the water from the lake into the canal and causing another green algae bloom and killing the fish, like what happened last year.  There were protesters at the lock at 7am one morning and 2 TV crews were out broadcasting each day.  We could see them from our campsite on the down side of the lock and dam!  On the our side of the lock and dam is salt water and the folks on this side are saying that the algae is caused from the pollution from the ”fresh” water that drains south into the lake from the orange groves, cattle ranches and dairy farms further north in Florida.  Of course the sugar cane farmers on the south end of the river don’t want more water released in their direction and neither do the folks on the Ft Myers end of the lake!   What a dilemma!

High humidity and heat were the buzzwords for the week – a big difference from the cold damp rain from weeks gone by!  H is always saying that I’m in a fog and this week it was true!  The extreme humidity was giving my old eyes a fit!   Besides that, it was too hot to even think of putting the boat together.   By noon the windows got closed and the air came on and we were out exploring!   Restaurants with good fish on their menus were on the agenda for a few days!

  On one venture we ended up in Ft Pierce and back out on the long fishing jetty that protrudes into the Atlantic.   Fishermen dotted the length of the jetty and the pelicans were at their post, guarding the fish cleaning station.   We watched several boats venture out to the end of the protective jetty and then slowly turn back, not willing to fight with the rough choppy waves beyond.  To the east, the sky was as blue as can be and the expanse of salt water below was a beautiful aqua.   The sun was shining brightly.   To the west was another matter!   Heavy clouds were beginning to intrude on the peaceful scene and you could see the dark vertical ribbons, which meant rain was successfully escaping the overloaded clouds.  We made it off the jetty and out of the park but did not make it off the island and back to the security of the “condo” before the deluge began.   

  On another day, downtown Stuart was explored again and Hutchinson Island was revisited also!  Last year the tide was way out and folks were sitting in the sand in the alcoves created by the huge jagged boulders.  Not so this year!  The large white crashing waves were exploding over the very tops of those craggy rough rocks!   Just south of the Refuge and rocks, Bathtub Bay was now open but mammoth dunes of white sand now edged the soggy cramped parking lot.   The beach that had been damaged by previous storms was cleared but the sand under the two neighboring 2 story houses was missing.    Supports under the houses were exposed; doors were missing and windows were broken.  “No Trespassing” signs were posted.  We wondered how long they would be allowed to stay that way.  We’ll have to check, next year!

Our winter trip is half over and we must head north – but not too far and not too fast!   Melbourne and one of H’s favorite, Wickham Park was to be next but they said they were booked for the coming week.  Moss Park, near Orlando, is now next and THEN Wickham!    I’ve been saving a hug for R&N and they are already there!

Okeechobee

Okeechobee sunset

It was just fog droplets that were collecting on the windshield as we pulled out of Collier Seminole that morning – right??    It was just an overload of humidity coming in off of the Gulf of Mexico that was barely a half-mile away in that creek by the boat launch  - right??   Things were going to dry out and we were going to camp at Midway, the National Park campground half way across the Tamiami Trail and we were finally going to get to ride our bikes the whole 15 mile length of the road in Shark Valley - right?  Wrong!  As soon as we rounded the curve and passed Everglade City – the low hanging clouds let loose and released their pent up moisture.   All the blasted way across the glades it rained.  As we passed the casino on the eastern edge of the glades (where we have parked for the night in years past) and turned from Rt 41 to go north on Rt 997 it rained!    It did let up as we passed by the spread out sugar cane fields in various stages of growth or burnt out blackness.  It waited long enough for us to park the big blue truck and attached “condo” on the still damp concrete parking pad in the Palm Beach County Campground in South Bay.   Then it let loose again!   The grassy areas were saturated and the lovely big pond in the center of the park was full!  The screened in laundry/shower room building was just across a small turn around area next to us so we took advantage of the time and got our laundry done, dancing around puddles and splashing thru soggy grass to get to and from the protection of our out stretched awning.    The next day was either overcast and gray or raining again.  We made the best of the situation by heading out and exploring some of H’s old haunts and hangouts from his past when he spent time during his “single days” of long ago!  Drove thru “little Haiti” in Belle Glade and revisited the campground to see if it was worth moving to instead of signing up for more days at South Bay. NO – it wasn’t!   Farther up the eastern side of Lake Okeechobee in Pahokee was another campground, right on the banks of the lake itself.   Way too steep of a price and way too steep of a climb to get over the levee pulling the trailer. 

Let me explain about Lake Okeechobee, the nations 2^nd largest natural lake.  Water from farther north in Florida flows to the south and ends up filtering thru the everglades before reaching the ocean.   Years ago men in authority thought it would be best to hold up the flow when it reached Lake Okeechobee. So they built a tall levee around the entire lake.  On the outside of the levee they dug canals.  To gain access to the lake they built large locks for boat to pass thru but still hold water in the lake.   To make a shortcut for other vessels – they dug an even larger canal/river from Port Lucie on the Atlantic side and exiting to the west and out to Ft Myers and the Gulf of Mexico via the Caloosahatchee River.  The lake is famous for its fishing.  It stands to reason then that it would be surrounded by marinas and fishing camps that pass themselves off as “RV Resorts”. 

lock into the lake

Zachary Taylor RV Resort is a Passport America resort at the north end of the lake and is planted on the banks of a canal that just so happens to lead to one of the many locks whose long wooden protecting arms stretch out into the lake.   Near downtown Okeechobee city is a new fishing pier that has replaced one destroyed by a hurricane.  After a lovely fish dinner at one of the local restaurants, the pier was a nice way to walk off supper and enjoy the last view of the sun as it disappeared behind the next batch of storm clouds that was rolling in.

Enough of the rain!   Lets head for the ocean.  Maybe the sun will shine there.

Marco and Naples

Find the dolphin?

Collier Seminole State Park is an old, OLD state park.  Remember our last visit here?  We wrote about the HUGE black “walking” crane that was built in Grand Rapids Michigan and was used to dig the miles and miles of deep, wide canals that were dug for the fill dirt to build the Tamiami Trail as it crossed the swampy Everglades.  The crane is still there – welcoming visitors to the park.  The boat ramp and picnic area seems to be the newest and best-kept space with shelter covered picnic tables and spacious parking lot.  The cement boat launch and adjoining canoe/kayak launch are used a lot. Except by one particular couple from Ohio – we watched them unload their armload of canoe gear and head to the stack of up-upside down canoes. Just about the same time, we noticed a slim dark shape slither into the water and move away from the shoreline.  After a very short “discussion” – they gathered their gear and returned to their car.  A teeny, tiny, 4-foot alligator kept them from a sunny afternoon exploring the waterway?  Sheesh!

While the boat area was welcoming, the campground was still overcrowded.  There were at least 6-8 campsites squeezed into an area that would be considered one at EG Simmons!  Luckily we had a corner site!   The “facilities”, while clean, were slipping in their conditions.   And the dump station stunk!!   But  - - we were near to the beaches on Marco Island and Naples!   On Marco Island we found our parking spot at the hotel complex where we’ve parked in the past.  This year there was an attendant and we just told him that we were going to “Stilts” the bar and grill there on the beach.  We strolled thru the open bar seating area and calmly opened the gate leading over the dune to the sprawling white sand beach.  The beach was full of sun worshipers from the north, piles and piles of white shells and a splattering of Fighting Conch Shells.  I tried my best to only gather the empty ones but I must confess – some that were still occupied ended up in my bag.  Besides all the beach walkers and sunbathers we passed a mammoth flock of  “bad haired” terns with their windswept look of black head feathers. Another group of strange looking birds sat huddled in the soft sand.  There were hundreds of Black Skimmers - strange looking birds that have red bills that are tipped in black.  Their lower beak is longer than their top beak.   Too bad that H forgot to bring his camera.   In Naples we found the fishing pier but the parking spot we located was at least a half-mile up the beach.  We needed the walk and it was a beautiful afternoon.  

  A pallet of bright colored beach umbrellas populated the white sand, along with a plethora of even more sun worshipers - all facing the brilliance of the hot sun.  The fishing pier stretched far out in the gulf, over ever deepening shades of aqua blue water.

  It was lined with hopeful fishermen and several dolphins danced and dove all around the long wooden path.  Pelicans floated near the collection of bobbers, hoping for a bit of a snack.  Up on the roof of the shelter was a lone “bad hair” Tern who didn’t seem concerned about all the folks passing so close to his perch on high. 

We are no longer heading south. The next part of our venture will lead us towards the rising sun.  We’re heading east across the Everglades!