South Bay and Sebring Fl.

Having left the busy traffic of Lake Worth and pointing the nose of the bright blue truck to the west, we retraced or reversed most of our path of several previous trips.   As always - thru sugarcane fields in various stages of growth from fresh plowed black fields with seagulls soaring in circles overhead, scouring for any turned

over rodents for a quick lunch, to waving fields of tasseled grassy growth that would soon be enveloped in massive clouds of black, orange and gray smoke.

South Bay Campground is not new to us –SPFB –Feb 19, 2018, Feb 2. 2016 and Feb 10, 2015!   This far south and this far into winter should not have been as cold or as windy or as wet as this one has been.  And to make matters worse – the steep ramp up to the top of the levee that keeps Lake Okeechobee from spilling onto

Hwy 27, this county park campground and the tiny town that bears that same name – was closed to all traffic.  No one could get to the boat launch on the other side nor could any one wishing to ride their bikes or hike make the trek up the steep drive to the top.  The reconstruction of the levee is still going on after what seems like an eternity instead of a half dozen years or so. On our last visit the huge piles of rock and the large dump trucks that hauled them were farther west, towards Clewiston and we could still ride our trusty bikes towards Torry Island Campground around to the east and 5 miles up to the town of Belle Glade.  This time, our trusty little bikes never left the security of the truck bed.  Instead, it was the bright blue truck that drove up and over the levee at any other available site to check the water level on the other side or to see how far in either direction the repair work was progressing.

Torry Island Campground was full!  And our friends that we had met there on several trips before were not in their usual spot on the corner, right by the channel and under the big sprawling tree!    Up the road in Pahokee, the campground, which is on the INSIDE of

the levee, was also occupied by more big RV’s and motor homes than we had ever seen in the past.  The break wall of the harbor still wrapped around and was protecting another eclectic collection of strange vessels.  Along side one lengthy dock was moored a 195 foot silver barge that looked like it was from Star Wars or some other alien movie.  The Counterpoint II still carries the banner on her side of “American Waterways Wind Orchestra” from her days as a floating concert hall that has traveled around the world!  In the center of the barge is a hydraulic powered steel cover that rises 25

ft in the air to protect the center stage as an overhead canopy and diffuses the sound.  In 2017 there was a bidding war to purchase the vessel to keep it from being dismantled and destroyed.   The bid was won by the town of Pahokee and is now to be used as a center of music education for the local children – including those from Pahokee - one of the poorest communities in Florida.  Go online and enter: “From Pittsburgh to Pahokee Florida” to read more!

Sunday morning arrived and so did the sun!  The temps were finally warming up!  As H was finally getting to visit with our neighbors and I was showing the ladies my “wares” of potholders and other handicrafts, H was approached by the office staff and was advised that his reservations were up but if he wanted to, he could sign up for one more day.  We thought we had till Tuesday in our now warm and sunny site.  After checking his schedule, H realized that she was right and we hurriedly packed and made haste to move to our next reserved spot – in Highlands Hammock State Park in Sebring!  Whew!  Good thing we had fixed breakfast already!

In Highlands Hammock we were on the backside of the campground and across the little road was the “hammock” of palmetto bushes, tall skinny palm trees and thin waving pines.  Our site this time was pie shaped and the electric and water were up by the roadway so we parked close to the power supply  - as did the tiny, rough looking OLD 1960’s era trailer with various shades of

faded paint and/or rust.  She also sat at a slight tilt!  We finally got to meet the proud owners of  “Ilean” (get it? Tilt! I lean!) and were given the grand tour of her well done, COMPACT, rebuilt interior in colors of black and white and trimmed in turquoise and peach!  Their goal for her is to take her to ALL of the National Parks and have stickers on her front and back windows to brag about their trips – just like I do with my jacket of many patches! 

Our “to do” list was checked off in good order  - rode our bikes out around the 3 mile, shaded blacktopped road loop.  Still no armadillos!  The walking trail and NARROW boardwalk out thru the swamp and over the quiet, dark patch of water, ladened with water lily leaves was still a must do.  A visit with B&C, just down the road in Lake Placid at their winter home in Camp Florida RV Resort was our top priority since we’d not seen them since last November up home before we each started our separate winter adventures!

If you ask H where he wants to go for lunch in Lake Placid, without hesitation the reply is Mexican – at Casa Tequila Restaurant!  Our plates are always clean when we are done!  We all met at Galati’s Family Restaurant in Sebring the evening before we were to move on.  The pizza is not as good as Buddy’s Pizza up in Dearborn Michigan but it was really good!  None is ever wasted!

Now we’re on to unknown territory.  We’ve never been to Zolfo Springs or the Cracker Lake 55+ RV Resort.  Let’s go see something new!

John Prince Park Palm Beach Area

Sun, Sand and Beaches is what we were hoping for and we got it all!  And a whole lot more – it was hot, muggy and windy too!  Along with bike rides, new friends, huge yachts and odd birds!  Let’s start at the beginning!

Palm Beach County has some of the prettiest beaches on the shoreline of the Atlantic Ocean.   To the north, we visited our favorite beaches as far as Juno Beach and even Jupiter Beach and the peaceful Dubois Park, right on the Jupiter Inlet. SPFB-for Jan 10, 2019 and Feb 23, 2018!!    Blue is my favorite color and the deep blue water that flowed outwards from the cement walls and boulder barriers that lined the inlet did not disappoint as it reflected the blue shades of the blue sky above. A visit to the beaches in that area also calls for a stop at the Loggerhead Marinelife Center.  The large “swimming pool” enclosures, each with its own “picture window” still held individual sea turtles and listed their name and reason for being there. 

To the south, the Ocean Reef Park, at Boynton Inlet is another favorite with its tree-lined parking spaces and wide fishing walls and jetties that stretch out into the deep blue ocean.  When the tide is in a hurry to get out to the ocean, the incoming white capped foaming waves crash into the outgoing current!  Boats must still run the gauntlet to escape!   When the waves are really rolling, the biggest ones, on the far side of the jetty, get ridden by surfers trying to see how close to the shore they can ride!

As in the northern end of the county, the Gumbo Limbo Nature Center down near Boca Raton also has big blue tubs with the large picture windows to see the injured sea creature inside.  Smaller aquariums hold other tinier sea creatures like my favorite seahorses!

Downtown West Palm Beach held an Antique/Farmers Market one sunny Saturday and we found a shady parking spot a block away and strolled thru the booths and vendors for 4 blocks till we reached the grassy park and Lakeshore drive that lined the waterway that divides the rich West Palm Beach from the even richer Palm Beach out on the barrier island.  In the WPB harbor were more than just a few mega yachts that rested their 150 lengths at the gated docks! One mammoth white beauty is up for sale and can be rented for $180,000 PLUS for a week!  The landing craft for that dark blue sailing/motor-yacht was bigger than any of the boats H ever owned!

Back in John Prince Park, we enjoyed the water view out our back and side windows and the collection of shore birds that visited!  While the pythons multiply in the Everglades, this park’s invasive specie is STILL the Iguana!  This big guy came to visit most everyday!  One day there were TWELVE that lazed around our “backyard”!  While this 4 ft long lizard was one of the biggest, the rest ranged from bright green foot long ones to the bigger darker green/gray guys.   On our bike rides we saw all the usual Herons and Roseate Spoonbills and Limpkins, scratching and catching small crustaceans for lunch! There was even this odd pair of large “ducks” which actually turned out to be a pair of Egyptian Geese!

 Our bike rides ALWAYS involved wind.  We did manage to ride the 5 miles of blacktopped bike trails thru the 378 acre park several times - past the almost 100 tents of the homeless that are, for now, living in the park, and over the several wooden bridges and around all the canals and lagoons.  Once, we did follow the winding pathway around the northern end of Lake Osborne, past the children’s water park, the boat docks and several more small bridges to the eastern side of the long, odd shaped busy lake – sometimes WITH the wind and sometimes INTO the wind.   Although the eastern side of the lake went past a residential neighborhood, there was still the tree lined walking and biking trail that followed the waters edge with plenty of resting areas and good views of the sprawling John Prince Park on the opposite side.  In the photo – look just over the left end of the small island and find the dark green round shrub.  That is our “tan train” just to the left of it.  10 miles from the start of our ride at our campsite, with the assistance of the long lasting batteries of our trusty electric bikes, we powered around the lake, up Lantana Road on the wide sidewalk that took us up and over the lake below; past the

collection of white buildings at the Palm Beach County Airport; past all the airports runways seen from Congress Ave and FINALLY back into the comfort of John Prince!

We were in John Prince for 2 weeks and the two sites on either side always had folks in transit - folks from as far away as Wisconsin or even Quebec. New friends made and “cards” exchanged!  They were mid sized motorhomes, custom vans or trailers.   The first neighbor tho, was an elderly Winnebago that had been painted with flat white house paint and trimmed in bright turquoise and green.  The front bumper was cardboard painted black!  Thru out our stay, we saw it had moved to a different site every few days!

Our Sun, Sand and Surf days have come to a close.  It’s time to head west.  It’ll be a long journey - - out of the big cities and 50 miles across the sugarcane fields to Lake Okeechobee and South Bay Campground.

Mosspark Orlando area

Moss Park!  We’re Home!!   Or are we?  The camp roads are the same white grit packed, yet potholed, sand roads; the campsites are still spacious and sheltered by tall Slash Pines and Live Oaks; and the bathhouses are still tiled and clean.  Yet, it’s different. 

Something is missing.  George isn’t here on his site.  We weren’t greeted by begging, squawking Sandhill Cranes.  I looked ALL week and never saw an Armadillo, a Sherman Squirrel or any turkeys!  George was the park’s resident photographer/wildlife expert and was one of the reason’s we came here and always parked next to him.  As we all get older, health becomes an issue and now he stays up in New York close to family.  A lot of us miss you George!

Two deer did come wandering thru our site the first morning we were here but there were only 2 and not the half dozen that used to mosey thru each morning AND each evening. Each time we rode the bikes or drove out in the truck, my eyes searched the wooded areas along the roadway for any gray rocks or tan clumps of dead grass that would move and finally look like the armor of a armadillo.  No reverberating Jurassic Park squawks from the handful of mated cranes – just one pair that only called out on occasion. But one evening they did call out from somewhere in the swamp grass behind site #29 – were they nesting out where they used to?

The tiny songbirds were much more friendly!  One afternoon while I was sitting at the picnic table with the sewing machine busily

buzzing away and H was nestled in his lounge chair with his tablet in hand, a tiny yellowish bird came to see if there were any tasty morsels to pick up from the table area.  It’s tail bobbed the entire time it was there!  Soon a matching bird in shades more of tan with soft stripes on her tummy joined him.  My Audubon Book confirmed that they were Palm Warblers!  The crust from our loaf of wheat bread kept them happily gobbling up crumbs.  A pair of shy Cardinals even joined in on the banquet!  The Fox Squirrels got shooed away.  Now – if they had been Sherman’s . . . . . . .

SPFB!  We’ve already done the Disney “thing” –including riding the transportation means from one resort complex to the next, Downtown Disney, Disney Springs, and even Disney itself. We’ve seen downtown, the Orlando Eye (the huge ferris wheel) and beautiful Lake Eola that is featured as the backdrop on every evening news program.  We’ve played tourist up and down the road from St Cloud to Kissimmee to Celebration and back.  This time we visited Old Town that is a remake of a fake old town, but is just a collection of quirky restaurants and over priced shops.  Right

behind it is Fun Spot - the amusement park with its bungee rides and roller coasters.  It was a cold windy morning so no one was there yet.

One evening, H had his nose in his Nook Tablet and I was in the bedroom, on the phone, when a persistent knocking came at the door.  It was friends that we had met at Trimble Park a few years ago - during the tornado warnings while we sheltered in the bathhouse!!!  They had just arrived in Moss Park and had read our blog saying that we were headed there/here!  While out for their evening walk they spotted the bright blue truck and came to call!!  What a treat!  We reestablished our friendship and shared travel stories during the rest of our stay as neighbors!  They even joined us for our last visit to the Catfish Place for lunch the day before we were to leave.  Cheryl and I both love to take photos.  Don and H looked like bookends as they stood with their backs to us, hands in pockets, discussing Jeeps, Ford trucks and all the other problems of the world!!

Titusville had the rocket launches; Mt Dora had the seaplanes; here in Moss Park in SE Orlando we are within 5 miles of the Orlando International Airport which brings visitors from all over the world to visit the theme parks, and this year the Super Bowl!!   The sleek beauties in the sky above circle the airport and when they are up over the campground, line up with the landing strip out in front of them and then slow their powerful engines in order to lower their massive crafts - like hotrods downshifting - whining and then rumbling, deeper and deeper - until the aircraft’s sleek bodies touch down on the solid land once more.  Sometimes this would happen every few minutes – as soon as one plane would land; yet another was in line to slow and drop gently out of the sky. 

Our week of doing almost nothing has come and gone.  It’s time to head out again.  The weather has been cool and we are heading farther south – Lake Worth – south of all the “Palm Beaches” and north of Del Ray Beach.

Sun – Sand and Beaches is what we are hoping for.

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.

Manatee Hammock in Titusville

Trains, Planes, Rockets, Kites, Trees and even Manatee and Tortoise – I’ve got to cover them all this time!  I’d better hurry, eh?!

Trains and Trees: Manatee Hammock is a Brevard County

Campground that sprawls between St Rt 1 and the vast expanse of the Indian River Lagoon, just south of Titusville.   On the west side of the road are the multiple railroad tracks and the north and southbound trains do not allow the tracks to get rusty!  Two long, one short and another LONG blast on the trumpeting horn announce each train.  Good thing that once past the first day – you don’t “hear” them anymore - - unless it’s 6:30 in the morning!  Our campsite on this visit was less than great – short and narrow.  The only way H could get the “train” into the site was to pull into the (thankfully) empty site across the way.  He backed into our site as far as he could and still leave room to get the slide out.  That tall pine tree was maybe 6 inches from the back of the slide!  A cluster of palm trees was almost as close on the other side! 

Planes and Rockets:  When I was a kid (a long, long time ago!)

there was a Ford Tri-motor Airplane that flew out of Pt Clinton Ohio to Put in Bay Island out in Lake Erie. The number of these 1920’s rumbling planes has dwindled down to just a handful that are restored and on display in aircraft museums throughout the states.  Several years ago H and I got to fly in one of the restored and still flying “Tin Goose” aircraft and flew out over the same areas that it flew in years past!  What a thrill!  That same plane is on tour again and was flying out of the War Bird Museum and Airport in Titusville.  For $77 you could take a 15-minute ride.  Every half hour the low rumble could be heard and the plane would soon appear up over the trees that sheltered the campground!  Memories!

Right across the wide Indian River is the Kennedy Space Center. 

The Space X Falcon 9 with 60 Starlink satellites inside lifted off with in a bright glow – right on time, the Monday evening after we arrived.  Along with the rest of the campground residents, we gathered on the rivers edge.  H and I stood on the rock walled shoreline while lots of folks filled the long fishing pier – vying for a good spot to see the blast off, taking photos with their cell-phones – their flashes causing twinkles in the dark night!  After a moment, came the boom that signaled the sound barrier being broken!  The rocket’s sections separated and the golden glow got smaller as it went farther away into the dark sky.

Manatee and Tortoise: We were heading out to the fishing pier one day and as we walked out onto it I got concerned because the little

girl from across the road from us was there and seemed to be all alone.  Her 2 bigger sisters were farther out at the end of the pier and I had not seen them!  As H and the 2 girls were looking down into the water, he spotted a large manatee slowly lumbering along under the dock.  As it appeared on the other side, heading out to the deeper water, you could count the deep white grooves across it’s back – like rungs on a stepladder - scars caused by someone’s powerboat prop.  

Every time we’re out exploring, we search for places that we’ve not been to before.  This time we found several wildlife parks.  The Enchanted Forest Park has several hiking paths thru the “forest”.  Outside the visitor center was a small area enclosed by long boards

forming a wall only a foot high.  Several informative signs explained who and what was inside!  “Austin” is a good-sized Gopher Tortoise who was an illegally kept pet and was given to the park.  The sign stated he could not be released back into the wild.  Read the sign to learn about the bumps

on his back!

More parks were found the day we re-visited Port Canaveral to see the ocean freighters in the industrial harbor and the collection of mammoth cruise ships.  Standing in the small park in the interior of the harbor we saw them all – the pleasure boats, the long sleek black ocean freighters and the 15-story tall cruise ships!  From there we found the small well kept Dolphin Park and the bigger Manatee Preserve Park with it’s soccer fields, ponds, play area and elevated boardwalk.  Obviously, H

found an open spot to fly his drone and capture a good view of the port and the harbor area.  The square white dot in the left background is the Kennedy Space Building!

Kites:  Each time we crossed over one of the high bridges that connect the islands to each other, there were usually a collection of bright colored kites flying high and zipping out and back across the water, just off the adjoining causeways.  Each kite had a water

board and human attached by a secure harness and long, long line to the U shaped kite soaring above in the wind.  One day the sky was dark and threatening but no one was leaving!  The next day, we parked at another spot and several guys were skimming across the water – just a few

feet from the shore! One skimmed across in front of us, throwing a wake behind him.  He leaped up in the air and flew high, attached to the kite above only by that thin line!  Was that a parachute on his back?

We got to visit with H’s brother and wife 3 times during our 2-week stay!  The “boys” got to go shoot skeet twice and we girls went shopping followed by the 4 of us eating out – Mexican, then Seafood and then Lowland Comfort food!  Good eating!

Getting the “train” out of that compact car slot was worse than getting backed into it.  We will NOT go into details!   We had Trimble Park to look forward to and we knew what the size of the site was and the view out the big back window was going to awesome!!!

At the Springs

Belated Merry Christmas one and all!  If you look back to our blog from December 2018, you see our pretty little Christmas tree that graces our dining room table and lights up the entire big window.  The same brightly lit tree is on the blog for Christmas 2017!  In 2016 it was the two tiny melting snowmen on the sparkling white sand on the shores of the Gulf of Mexico!  2015 saw the beautiful white nativity set at Sharon’s home!  Mr and Mrs Santa Claus at Salt Springs was our official Christmas photo for 2014!  This year, our great neighbors from up home have given us this sparkling Cardinal snow globe lamp and it brightens up our dark kitchen corner!

 As usual, the bright blue truck has been out exploring the forest back roads, always on the hunt for bear or deer.  Lots of other trucks were out in the woods this time but their drivers were all dressed in bright orange hunting garb!   Once we saw a dark spot in the road way ahead of us and  . .  wait . . .  was it a bear?  Nope – just 2 hunting dogs sauntering up the road! 

Out wandering the main route of FL RT40 we stopped just before the high bridge that crosses up and over the St John’s River.  Strolling along the short boardwalk, we

passed a gentleman on a dark brown airboat. The engine roared to life and swung out into the middle of the vegetation clogged waterway.  High up on the bridge, the bridge master told us that this massive island of green just congregated in, under and around the main channel and bridgework guides in less than 24 hours!  This floating mass of plants and their river clogging roots started gathering the evening before and now all passing boats had to squeeze thru the narrow, rocky side passage.  Another boater came down river and joining with the airboat, fought together with anchors and ropes to dissuade the river-jamming clump.  The boater would drive into the clump as far as he was able and then throw his anchor as hard and as far as he could.  The airboat would make sure the anchor was deep enough into the jungle of roots and then park his craft on top of the metal hook.  The boat would pull back and the airboat would slowly work his craft forward guiding the buried anchor. By the time we returned to the truck an hour later, half the channel was open and they continued to push and pull the clog out of the way, letting it continue to float freely on down the river.

The Ocala National Forest is the oldest forest west of the

Alexander Spring

Mississippi River.  The 3 best campgrounds that include beautiful springs within the forest boundaries include our favorite Salt Springs, Alexander Springs and Juniper Springs.  Alexander

Alexander Spring

Springs is wooded with non-electric camping and the spring area itself is deep and dark blue.  The canoe/kayak launching area is just past the buoyed swimming area.  Juniper Springs is also a wooded, non-electric camp ground and the beautiful springs are smaller but has a rustic CCC mill with a working water wheel that is run by the excess water that rises from the deep blue spring.  The area where all the kids used to dive off of is now protected by a black wrought iron railing, but you can still stand up over the deep

Juniper Spring

spring and look down into the blue depth.  Check the blog for last year to see H’s drone picts of Salt Springs and also Silver Glen

Springs - which is beautiful swimming area with no campground.

It has been so good to get to visit with my sister in Ocala!  Of course we HAD to go see her as soon as we arrived so H could get his new drone. Then there was Christmas Day!  Wednesday, the day before we were to head out once more we met her for lunch at Logan’s Steakhouse!  We were stuffed!!!

H got to shoot skeet up in Palatka and it is always followed by lunch at Corky Bells on the high bank of the St John’s River, just north of the “forest”.  The truck has even gotten a fresh oil change.  Our friends from previous years have been visited with.  New friends from Wellsboro, Pa have become “Happy Hour Friends”.  Too bad Dick’s bike of choice is a PURPLE Harley!  He did like taking my little white electric bike out for spin tho!!  He and Connie have been camping at Salt Springs for years – so why haven’t we met before now??  We’ll make up for that in the future, for sure!!

Our Salt Springs stay has come to an end and we must move on - down Fl Rt 19 with our usual stopover in Eustis to check out the lakeside boardwalk.  After all the rain we’ve had in the last 3 weeks, it was so very nice to enjoy the sunshine!  We saw a sign for an “Estate Sale” being held in a sprawling white tent in a mall parking lot and it drew us in!  A nearby empty Beall’s Outlet store had been turned into yet another antique mall and beckoned us to visit them also!  On down the road and thru a massive amount of new road construction, we finally reached Sanford on the shores of Lake Monroe – also part of the St John’s River.  Unable to maneuver the “train” around the snug traffic circle at the edge of downtown, we took a longer route to get to the city’s marina and the collection of boats - from the authentic paddle wheeler tour

boat, to tall masted sailboats, to the massive houseboats all moored and resting at their docks.   Whew!  This day’s journey was getting long – 90 plus miles!  Time to end it and park this “train” in Manatee Hammock for awhile!  There’s going to be a space launch on Monday and we are hoping to see it!

Daytona Area

Moving day - - we’re always up early.  But we only had 40 some miles to go so we didn’t need to hurry - - but we did anyway. 

10:30am – Tomoka State Park, the rangers were not gonna let us get near our site.  We parked at the “Outpost” – the boat launch/kayak rental/camper store with the big deck overlooking the peaceful Tomoka River.   Looking farther downriver it reminded me of the Ausable River up in Michigan – just trade the palm trees for the red and gold maples from our October trip up there!  At noon, we moved to the large

overflow parking area in the campground to be ready to move to our assigned site and while we waited – H got the trailer wheels all cleaned and shiny once more.  Check out time was 1pm and the site residents took up every second of their available minutes.  H maneuvered the “train” thru the squooshy sand and jockeyed, and re-jockeyed until he wiggled the trailer back into the long but narrow site.  The site was not our very best but the hot showers in the very clean bathhouse sure were!!!

Tomoka State Park is 3 miles north of Ormand Beach (Daytona) on

Chief Tomoki

a peninsula bordered on one side by the calm Tomoka River and the other side - the faster moving Halifax River with the barrier islands

and their busy beaches to the east. This area was home to Native Americans who’s chief was Tomokie.  At the very end of the park, where the two rivers come together is his impressive but crumbling statue.  When the original residents were forced out – rich plantation owners took over and with the servitude of hundred of slaves, cleared more land and planted rice and sugarcane.  One of

those plantations is now part of another state park and we toured the 1821 ruins of the then largest sugar cane mill in east Florida at Bulowville Plantation.   Even part of Tomoka State Park was once the Oswald Plantation that grew indigo!  Across the road from the campground is a mile long cement bike path that weaves thru the

woods and across a canal that was dug by hand for the plantation.

Daytona Beach has its fishing pier and famous, wide expanse of boardwalk that is the perfect way to walk the beach without getting sand in your shoes!  This wide walkway is lined with shops, restaurants and view blocking mega motels. In one pass thru mall area, an empty Santa Beach Chair sat, waiting for someone to occupy it. While the day was sunny with a blue sky, and we have driven on the beaches before - on this day the driving beaches were closed to vehicle traffic because of the strong winds and high tides.  No, H would not have paid the $20 anyway!

 Daytona has the massive Speedway and the Volusia Mall – which was not very Christmas-y at all!  The huge flea market out near I95 and the airport was a great way to spend some time and get more exercise!  Tee shirts, socks and cell phone accessories took up most of the inside but we did finally find the real “flea” area!!   One booth should have been bulldozed under – but I did find a booth that had Gnomes!   

Then came the rain.   Noah had 40 days of it and I think Florida was working towards that.  All Saturday night, ALL Sunday and ALL Sunday night it rained – 40 hours at least!

 At Salt Springs Campground in the Ocala National Forest, there were plenty of  “walk-in” sites open and, even in the rain, H expertly backed up onto the long black topped parking pad in one fell swoop – no sand and no impending trees to worry about!   Parked and plugged in we were off again - to Ocala.  H's drone quit working a week and a half ago and his new one was already delivered to my sister’s home!  As you can see – it works well.  See how good we look when parked in the “forest”?!!   Obviously, the sun did come out to shine on Monday, just so H could fly his new drone.  We’ve made more new friends and have even found some of the friends from our last stay here!

Christmas Eve Day – it has rained again for most of last night and today.  For Christmas dinner tomorrow, I am in charge of the pork roast and green veggie (from our garden!).  I baked the pumpkin (from our garden, too!) pie this morning in our toaster oven!  Sharon                                                           has the potatoes and all the rest!

To our friends near and far, old and new – We wish you all the peace of Christ’s birth and a VERY Merry Christmas    HUGS and HELLO’s!