Silver Springs

 Happy Winter!   Today, December 21st is the first day of winter!  The official temperature was 84 degrees.   Sorry. 

We arrived at Wilderness RV Resort on Wednesday.   Every day there are more huge rigs pulling in but there are still a lot of empty concrete pads out there.   On the 2 sites behind us are sisters and husbands from Michigan!     The next row over is a 35 ft Rockwood from Pennsylvania!  Great folk all!  In total there are 5 Rockwood’s in the park!  Last year we were in site 15 on the backside of this row but site 7 is right on the main road, across from the little lane that leads to the river and to the section where all the big fancy class A motorhomes buy the space and do all their own improvements. Some have big elaborate decks and screen rooms!  On the outside row all the rigs pull in so their mammoth front windows face the river and woods instead of the street and all the golf carts going by!    Oh, yeh, there was a Christmas parade that zipped thru the park – 9 decorated golf carts and a big yellow motorcycle!   Pretty exciting!

Dick and Sharon live on the south west side of Ocala and the town of Silver Springs is on the east side.  Wilderness is further east on Rt 40, just past the Ocklawaha River.  D&S were out running errands on Thurs and we met them at Bob Evans for an early supper.  Of course, since we were going to town - it gave us a chance to go do some shopping also!  Especially since H broke the mirror on the truck.

The “adventure” day came on Friday when we struggled to get the boat down the hill and put together at the edge of the slimy green pond area where all the park’s kayaks are kept.  H had to row out thru the lime green ooze to the river where I was able to climb aboard next to where the pontoon boats were moored.  Once away from the shore the jungle cruise began!   Up the Ocklawaha River we ventured under the high bridge on Rt 40 to the beautiful Silver River.  Herons were everywhere – big blue and gray ones, little blue ones, green ones and elegant long legged white ones; egrets with their curved bills always slicing thru the water; kingfishers zigzagging across the river from one tall tree to another and the always present cormorants and anhingas with their long snaky necks and outspread drying wings.  Millions of orange-bellied turtles sunning themselves, all stacked like dominos on any available log.   We saw TEN black alligators dozing in the sun, just on the 6-mile ride up to the headsprings. On the way back down H spotted a tiny one, only about 2 ft long swimming in front of us.  Not a monkey was to be seen on this trip but we did manage to scare 2 wild hogs and followed them across the river and watched them disappear thru the lily pads to the palmetto jungle.   At the clear, deep blue headspring there used to be a dozen glass bottom and jungle tour boats, all twirling around over the deep springs and down the river in search of alligators.  Now there is only one lonely boat to take visitors out over the gorgeous water canyons.  The concession that used to operate the boats and park no longer manage it and the “state” has taken over so it is now part of the Silver Springs State Park.

 

Hogs in the River

Saturday is flea market day in Florida!   The Market of Marion even has a café for breakfast!  Our mission was to find a new side mirror for the truck and a replacement plate for Staci’s Pfalzgraff dinnerware set.  Did not find either but we found mirrors for our little bikes since our good ones got left behind at home and bright red tomatoes to go with our bacon sandwiches -even tho they do not compare to our home grown ones from Michigan!

Christmas is coming and we must get to Ross Prairie before Santa!  We will see you there!

Salt Springs Area

 I should just start out each new blog post with “SPFB” and get it over with!   Yah, know – Anastasia, thru Palatka and down to Salt Springs Campground in the Ocala National Forest.  We are in a new campsite this time tho!  The powers that be have rearranged the reservable vs. non-reservable sites plus they have condemned the “barn” where all the crafters met and potlucks were held.  The office lady said it was not up to code.  Because of that, lots of the regulars are not here. The first full row only had 3 units parked there when we pulled in.  Our favorite spots are either 18 or 19 but they are now only to be had if you call ahead and reserve.  We’ve been on site 65 with its drippy pine tree but this time we are site 67.  Our Tennessee neighbors and our Montana neighbors have moved on but 3 mammoth motorhomes from Palatka have moved in!  Across from us is a family of 3 adults from Traverse City Michigan who said they sold their home and have given all their furniture away.  They have been tent camping for 6 months with 2 dogs - a full sized slobbering St Bernard and an overgrown Border collie mix.  They are driving an old faded minivan and an almost as old convertible.   Our other neighbors are Pleated woodpeckers, chickadees and last evening we heard an owl!  Of course there are squirrels – in the trees, on the picnic tables, sliding on the awning and running up and down on the top of the condo at 7am!  There have been LOTS of reports of bears, too!  On the TV news reports and via hunters in the campground talking about how many they saw in the forest when out hunting for deer.

We’ve not been “in the forest” yet.  We’ve ridden our bikes around the park, up the long hill to the little shopping center next to the RV Resort and down the long hill to the mobile home park and to the grocery store even farther down hill.   YES!  Their deli’s chicken livers are still really good!   We’ll be riding up the hill again because I have an Anniversary card to mail to my sister Becky and her husband Larry!   Happy Anniversary, Kids!!

It was too cool to unfold the portaboat and way too cool to don wet suits and snorkel in the fresh water spring this park is known for so we set the GPS for Ormand Beach and went off exploring for the day.  RT 40 all the way to the ocean.    The parking lot at the pretty beach we found was just about empty.  WAY to cold and WAY to windy to be walking in the surf or sand.  The red warning flags were holding ever so tightly to their sturdy poles!  The park had lovely paved picnic spots and even a dancing fountain area for the kids to run thru.  Obviously, it wasn’t operating or the icy water spray would have ended up in the parking lot across the 4-lane highway!   On down A1A to Daytona Beach, we found a great parking spot that did not have a parking meter next to it and was only 4 spots from the boardwalk and the Daytona Fishing Pier!   The strong winds felt almost hurricane force to someone who has never had to endure such power!   My poor hat was not going to make it so off it came and stayed secure in my hand as we strolled down the boardwalk and back via the brightly decorated street.  On the way we passed over the historic arch that allowed the Daytona bike racers to enter the beach where the original Daytona races were held in days past.

On day we finally took a chance and unfolded the boat and slid it into the clear water at the mouth of the spring.  The little 2 horsepower motor chugged along and pushed us steadily on as we headed out the Salt Springs Run.  As we finally turned back and were heading to the launch, the boat shuttered and rolled as tho we had hit a large boulder hidden under the water.  Startled, I grabbed for the gunnels on each side of the little wobbly craft and turned to H to see what he had hit.  He was as astonished as I!   We determined that we had been hit by a manatee as we watched its large flat tail disappear under the water out past the back of the boat! 

Now it’s time to move on.  We’ve had rain, wind, sun and now cold.  Frost is in the forecast!  We’ve seen deer, finally explored more forest trails, done 2 flea markets and met lots of nice folks.  Wilderness RV Park in Silver Springs is our next step, as we get closer to Christmas in Ocala.

St Augustine Fl.

Anastasia State Park sits on the beach on the barrier island that protects St Augustine from the storms of the Atlantic.  The day we arrived, the west side of St Augustine was sunny but the island was enveloped in thick ocean fog.  By 10:30 am the next morning the day was sunny and warm.  The fog was nowhere to be seen!  H ditched his long pants and donned his Bermudas for our bike ride thru the park - Up and around each campground loop – taking attendance.  During H’s truck drive on the beach just south of the campground, the angry tide was high and was sending huge crashing waves on shore, in some areas all the way up to the one way-driving lane.  A few times it was a “One – two – three - GO!”  situation.  The most well known symbol of St A is the tall stately, black and white peppermint striped lighthouse, which sends her beacon out across the waves each night.  Her other well-known attraction is the restored 1500’s Spanish fort, the Castillo de San Marcos and adjoining “Old Towne”.    Each year when we visit, we make our pilgrimage to town at dusk to stroll the streets, have an ice cream cone, people watch and enjoy the twinkling Christmas lights.   The horses, decorated with large jangling bells and still pulling their overloaded white carriages, look so very tired as they steadily plod along on their tour routes that surround the pedestrian areas.   The center of the enclosed garden behind the cathedral is filled with large dark red Christmas Poinsettias.  The trees and bushes are strung with thousands of tiny white lights that illuminate the area with a soft glow.  The historic public park across from the stately church is also full of lights on trees, lampposts and the gazebo.  A multicolored Christmas tree surrounded by oversized gifts complete the Holiday scene!   The families with their excited children, the young lovers holding hands as they strolled and the old folks with their canes and silly flashing Christmas necklaces were all out enjoying the evening just like we were!   The time had come, however, to head back to the awaiting condo and settle in for the remainder of the night because the next day was a moving day.  We were moving to Salt Springs in the morning!

South Again

Have you seen the storms that have been stomping across the entire nation?  Our plans originally were to leave the semi frozen north and head south on Friday but with the impending threat of the raging storm – we tucked our shirttails in and latched on to the over loaded “condo” and headed south.

Hopefully we were going to make it south of the “Mason Freezin Line” before the ice and snow caught us.  Instead of stopping at our customary Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, we forged on to Tennessee and found the Volunteer RV Park just south of Clinton and just north of Knoxville.  Steve was unable to meet us for supper so we drove the 30 miles – up down and around the extremely narrow back roads to his little home nestled on the side of the hill on Old Harriman Rd!   It’s not fun driving in the dark - at our age - on headlight absorbing blacktop like that!  Oh, yes - did I not mention that it was raining?   Another problem was that H put in “fastest time” for the GPS to get us back to the “condo” which took us all the way down to US 40 in Knoxville and then back up 75.  Oh, well, we made it.

Friday was still wet but we pressed on thru the Smokey Mountain National Park.  Add thick FOG to our list of fun weather situations!  By the time we exited the park in Cherokee NC – the sun was shining.  Alas – but not for long.   Commerce Georgia was the final stopping place that evening at the Georgia RV (?) Park.  Yes, it rained AND the bathroom facilities are STILL spooky!  But it was the perfect place to stop so we could call our dear friend Bobbie who lives just down the road in Milledgeville!  We had met her and her husband Gene on many of our stays at Moss Park!   SPFBs!!    Gene has since gone on to be with his Lord and on this trip; dear Bobbie was available to meet us for breakfast Saturday morning!  It was GREAT to see her again.

Georgia US Rt 441 is mostly rural and at this time of year, winds thru white fields of cotton all the way to the Okefenokee Swamp.  The Laura Walker State Park is still a great place to park along the peaceful smooth lake.  Met a couple who towed a turquoise blue restored 69 VW bus!

Sunday noon and we crossed the Florida line!  Home for 2 days is now the jungle of Anastasia State Park on the barrier island off of St Augustine.  H is in his tee shirt and Bermuda shorts.   We can hear the ocean from our site!

Now the big question is:  Did Michigan State beat Ohio State last Saturday?

Homeward Bound

New Mexico - and the Rio Grande is DRY!  The White Sands Missile Range is WHITE!  We came thru the San Augustin Pass and the white sands lay out before us, interspersed with skeletal remains of towers and fences from when the area was really a missile range!  Miles from the Mexican border we encountered another “Inspection Stop” – this time the guard on duty was a bit intimidating with his body bulk crammed into a dark uniform, clean shaved head, stern looking face and prominent black eye patch!    The Alamogordo Sands Motel and the Sunset Restaurant finished up our day on the road.  The special of the day was a “Wobbly Wayne” and we could not resist – a juicy chopped BBQ sandwich and a bottle of root beer!   Sunday morning led us up out of town and we climbed steadily to the crest of the Lincoln National Forest – Yes – all the facilities were closed but the road, the tunnel and the scenic pullouts were still accessible and the views were gorgeous.  From the 8700 ft elevation the decent was long and slow thru forests with trees that were finally taller (much taller!) than our van.   The vast pine forests were sporadically dotted pale yellow from trees that had begun their fall color change.  From there on our journey east became a blur. Pump jack fields, nodding up and down as they pulled the black oil from the ground split up the Texas fields of sunflowers, sorghum and cotton.

Years ago – before the days of our blog – H and I were traveling home across the northern states of Wyoming and Montana, and were seemingly playing leap frog with another couple on a big black Goldwing pulling a big black trailer with lawn chairs secured on top.  We finally stopped together and Gene and Betty from Post Texas became lifelong friends!  A visit with them was a welcomed break in our run for home!

Once we hit the interstates of Rt 30, and then 40 – it was all over  - no more slowing down to see what interesting view we were passing because the ‘view” was a steady stream of semi butts and then the massive blank walls of their side panels as we passed them by.  From Dallas/ Fort Worth, thru the entire state of Arkansas to Memphis Tennessee – the “view” was the same.  And we won’t discuss H’s ire about “rolling roadblocks”!

The “Land Between the Lakes” area in north/west Tennessee- south/west Kentucky is similar to the Natchez Trace but since the National Parks are closed due to stupidity – this road was just that – a nice calm road, without semis, to get us north.   Louisville, Kentucky – Indianapolis and Ft Wayne, Indiana to the new Rt 24 interstate thru Ohio to Toledo and we were done.

Thanks for coming with us!   H is now debating whether to get the trailer ready for a trip north one more time or just winterize it and wait for the clock to strike “Go to Florida” time!

Heading East ( Remember you can click on pics to enlarge them )

Toledo’s traffic has nothing on California!  4 and 5 lanes each direction and bridges on top of bridges and off ramps going every which way!    And at 6pm it was 90 degrees in San Diego/ Imperial Beach area.   I saw National City, LaMesa, Lemon Grove and El Cajon go by as we were keeping up with traffic - heading east – outa town.

From crowded populated cities, to rolling scrub desert the terrain then turned to farmland with rows and rows of irrigated fields.   Fields upon fields of lush green hay, some freshly mowed into identical parallel rows.   Some already baled and turned into stacks and stacks of big rectangular blocks of sweet smelling hay.  Stacked so high and wide that they looked like huge pole barns at the far side of the vast manicured fields.  If there were more than one stack, they resembled one of the many trains that we’ve passed on our journey.   We’ve passed thru miles and miles of windmill farms on the way out and now, on the way back there are solar fields of shiny panels all lined up like dominos in mid tilt.   And, no matter which highway we’ve been on, there is the constant companion of a railroad track next to it.  All the way west and now heading east, we’ve seen train after train being pulled or pushed by either 2 or 4 big yellow engines.  Boxcars full of shiny new automobiles going west and empty boxcars coming back east to get more Jeeps!!   

El Centro was our resting place for the night - finally.  If you ever come this way in the future be sure to stop at the Vacation Inn.  Reasonable prices, free hot breakfast and Harry got a FREE BEER!!  I got one too but we know who drank it. 

On Friday we woke early again and were greeted by temps hovering at 76 degrees.  The day was sunny and clear – till we traveled down the road a bit. We passed thru a high pass and then began a long, long ride to the bottom of the barren rock mountains on each side.  The semis were made to pull over and check their brakes before they attempted this downhill roller coaster ride.  As we descended we passed sign after sign warning of high winds and blowing sand.  Nothing like strong winds and blowing yellow sand to make a person thankful that you are not on the motorcycle – or pulling a trailer as big as a roadside billboard!  Winds were blowing the sand sideways and in a frenzy in front of us.   On the opposite side of the road we saw highway trucks pushing sand off the road like the snow plows up north!

Rt 8 rolled into Rt 10 thru Tucson and on to Benson where we aimed to “camp” for the night.  Both Mel and Bud said we had to go see Tombstone that was 20 some miles south of Benson.   Of course, since we’ve been waking up so early, we were just about the 1^st folks to town.  Breakfast was 1^st on our agenda and we found it easily at the OK Coral Café!  By the time the over worked, only waitress served our meal and we cleaned up our plates, the costumed gun fighters and their colorful ladies were sifting onto the wooden sidewalks of this old cowboy town. 

Then the Wells Fargo Stagecoaches slowly rolled up the dusty road, pulled by pairs of matched draft horses.  There was no mistaking the cadence of the steady clip clop of their hooves as they slowly plodded along, ready to give tourists a tour of the town. Most of the shops and “pay to see” venues were closed but we still enjoyed the feel of the town as we went from one end to the other, imagining what it was like when Doc Holiday and the Earps had the infamous fight at the OK Coral.  If we would have stayed longer we could have paid to see it happen all over again, and again!  The original town was started in 1878 and grew to over 15000 residents during the silver rush in Arizona.  When the silver veins ran out – so did most of the folks who called the town home.    And it was getting to be time that we ran out also!

8 Days On The Road To California

We’ve made it to California and we’ve made it to the town where my cousin Alan and his wife Judy live.   I have not seen him since we were both kids.  His folks moved their family out to San Diego area back in the 50’s.  Our grandparents followed soon after that.  When my grandfather had a stroke, my father packed up my brother, younger sister and me and drove out in a 55 Chevy station wagon pulling a homemade camping trailer.  I was about 12 or 13.  Now, Alan invited us to join them for dinner at their home on Tuesday.  Before we were to arrive, H and I did some shopping and also found several historic places and parks to explore, including the Yucaipa Regional Park.  Too bad everything was so very dry and what was left of the 3 lakes was a slimy green like the Algae Bloom in Lake Erie.  Prospect Park was the home of a historic mansion but we enjoyed the park’s shady grove and fixed lunch instead.  Alan is a retired teacher, now turned artist, fisherman and excellent cook.  Judy is still teaching and when not working, she serves tea parties or sweet-talks her 3 kitties!  Together, they travel and run marathons in ALL 50 states!  It was well after dark when we said our last goodbyes and trusted our GPS to get us thru the narrow, up and down roads back to the interstate and our motel.  Only one miss-turn but we made it!

Now it was time to head for the beach!  We’d been on the road for over a week and still have not see the Pacific Ocean.  You’ve heard all the horror stories about the smog and the crazy traffic and the confusing expressway signs in and near Los Angeles  - They are ALL true!   White knuckled, H maneuvered our grand old van thru traffic and we safely exited Rt 5 in San Juan Capistrano and found the beaches and then headed south, keeping as close to the them as we could and stopped at the various fishing piers or sandy shores.  Every stopping area had its share of surfers, patiently waiting on their boards for a good ride, however, most of their rides ended in topsy-turvy crashes in the roaring white waves!  In Oceanside we walked out on the longest wooden pier on the coast.  What a grand view of the endless coastline!   In the morning we realized we were traveling on “Historic Rt 101” and learned that this eclectic road was just like our Beloved Historic Rt 66!  The original road was a 1777 Spanish trail built to go from one mission to the next all the way from Mexico to the Canadian Border.  In 1925 it was designated the Pacific Highway.  She led us all the way down the coast, thru Encinitas, Solana Beach, in and out of several mile long state park beaches.  Sometimes the road wound along high cliffs and sometimes thru towns that celebrated the California life, complete with OLD VW buses, Mustangs and antique Winnebago motorhomes.   In LaJolla we pulled into another parking spot. This one clung to the side of a high windy cliff.  The foul odor that smacked us in the face as we opened the van doors was unmistakable – below us on the wet rocks were sea lions!  LOUD squawking sea lions! Pelicans, sea gulls and cormorants, too!  We had unknowingly found the Seal Beach and Ecological Underwater Preserve.  Huge white waves crashed on the cliffs and rocks all along the rugged, curved shoreline.

San Diego is not the quiet peaceful town anymore.  It was by accident that we found Old Town Historic Park, most of which is now restored to its 1872 era.  From there we sifted carefully thru the rows and rows of traffic and found the Harbor and the Midway Aircraft Carrier Museum.  Luckily we got a great parking spot and were surprised to see the same Naval Sailor Kissing the Girl – Just like the one in Sarasota Florida!  San Diego is also famous for the Coronado Bridge and the Strand Boulevard.  After all that, H was done – and it was time to get out of town.  Did I mention the traffic?   We know the van does not make “U turns” as good as the bike does but she did her best and we did get out of town.   The beaches and the surfers are gone – we are heading east.