We Continue to have Good Luck

Our next reservation was in Louisiana  but we had a four night gap between when we were leaving Manatee Springs and we could check in at Fontainebleau.  I had figured we would just wing it and find a place as we went, but we had a nice conversation with another RV couple while at the Springs, and they suggested we look into stopping at the Ft. Pickens campground in the Gulf Island National Seashore. I did and it looked like a great half way point, so I went online and got a reservation for the four nights we needed. 

The 337 mile drive is about as far as we want to go in one hop. We were on the road by 9:30 and arrived at 4:00. We gained an hour with the time zone change. We haven't had to buy much fuel for the Alfa this winter because we haven't driven very far. We were delighted to fill up for $2.49 per gallon. The Alfa is a diesel.

Craig and I have what we consider a very good system of shared driving responsibilities. We both drive the Alfa. If we have to go less than 100 miles, Craig usually drives all of it. For distances over that, we trade off so neither of us gets road tired. 

When it comes time to back the rig into a spot, we find it works best if I drive and Craig gives me directions on the walkie-talkie. Like most couples, we do what works best for us.

We have learned to look carefully for obstacles when the spot is tight. But sometimes things sneak up on us. This usually happens when the space seems wide open. 

After successfully backing into our spot at Ft. Pickens I looked around. 

EEK! I had almost hit a good size tree branch with the back corner of the Alfa. I definitely could not have seen it from the driver's seat, and Craig had not seen it because he was on the driver's side. 

Hopefully, writing about this "almost" impact will help us remember to watch all eight corners of the rig, and take a better look for potential dangers before backing in. Even when it feels like we have lots of room!

We were LUCKY once again!

After getting settled I noticed the sun was setting, and I went out to the road. I saw a boardwalk to the beach just across from the entrance of our loop. Sure enough, it was just a short walk through the dunes to the water.

Ahh! A beautiful sunset indeed! We are looking forward to some nice walks here in the next few days. Fingers crossed for nice weather.

And thanks again for the recommendation!

Manatee Springs

Things did not work out as we had planned for our brief stay at Manatee Springs.

After we got settled in our space on Monday afternoon, we took a walk over to the Springs area of the park. It was not far and a trail led from the campground right there.

Even though it was only about fifty miles north of Silver Springs it was quite a bit colder. I guess the edge of the cold storm front that was pummeling the Northeast was affecting the area. There were very few people at the springs area and the concession and boat rental counter was closed. 

We noticed this bird on a dock at the edge of the springs. We also noticed what looked like an upwelling of water, and Craig thought it was the action of a spring, but then two divers emerged. It was a surprise! 

It seemed to me the water was not as clear and shallow as it was at Silver Springs. In fact it looked black except for a few places where the springs were pumping out a steady flow of fresh water.

The channel the water takes from the spring to the river is called its "run".

There was a nice boardwalk that paralleled the run with trees standing in the water on one side, and a view of the run on the other. 

The water looked very dark, almost opaque.  It also looked like there was a bit of current running. I was surprised at how short it was, and how quickly it reached the Suwannee River. The river itself was also very dark, and I decided I did not want to try canoeing there. When we canoed at Wekiwa we stayed in the run and it was quite long and had almost no current. 

Craig may have been a little disappointed, but accepted my reluctance.  We will canoe again, just not here. 

Scary river

When we were standing at the lookout platform at the end of the boardwalk, we noticed hundreds of vultures in the sky.

They were also roosting in the trees along the river's edge.

Waiting for a canoe to tip over?

On Tuesday we decided to take our trip down to Weeki Wachee Springs to see the mermaid show. But we didn't quite make it.

A few days before we had the tires rotated on the Jeep at a dealership in Orlando. As we drove toward Weeki Wachee we began hearing a road noise. It kept getting louder and Craig pulled up to a Tire King store in Crystal River. All four tires looked good. 

While we were waiting for a Craig checked his phone and discovered there was a Jeep dealership a few miles away so we went there instead.

We drove there with the noise getting worse by the block!

The dealership mechanic said we were lucky to have made it, because the wheel was about to fall off.  It seems the guy who rotated the tires did not tighten the lug nuts on one tire, and thus the problem. 

Oh My!

We felt lucky we had not had an accident, and the fix was an easy one.  It did cost over $200, but I talked with the Orlando dealership service manager, and expect a full reimbursement check ASAP!

By the time we were back on the road it was too late to get to a show and we returned to the campground.

On Wednesday, we took another stab at it. This time we had a nice drive, but as we pulled into the Mermaid Show's parking area there were people coming out and leaving. We were told there was some sort of "technical problem" so the shows had been canceled for the day.  

We did have a really great lunch though at a funny little roadside
place called Becky Jacks. I had a fantastic fish sandwich, and Craig had some fish tacos. The portions were so large that we skipped dinner that evening because we were both still full.

We have often found very interesting food by using Google on our Android phone. Technology makes travel so much easier than it was years ago. 

If we were on vacation, these things might have seemed to spoil our time, but I think as I remember these days I will feel the luck in not losing a wheel and the pleasure of finding a great meal in a crazy little place.

Life is good. Enjoy what you can.

Three More Days at Silver Springs

The cool mornings here quickly turn into perfect walking weather by late morning. On Thursday we did a nice four and a half mile walk through the park. I am really going to miss these beautiful shade trees as we move West. I know we wouldn't want to be here in summer, but we really understand why so many Snowbirds flock to this state every winter.  We will be back!

Sue, of MoHo Travels, commented "Don't miss Micanopy!!"
So of course we had to look it up and found out it was a very small town about thirty miles north. We are always looking for new things to see, so it became our Saturday adventure.

It felt like a step backwards in time. Wonderful huge old oaks and interesting historic houses. This one was for sale. It has five bedrooms, more than 4000 square feet, four fireplaces, a large landscaped lot, and many renovations the were done in keeping with landmark requirements. Price? $450K. All I could think was about how much work it would be to keep it up. Not something we would want to do again!

We walked around town and wandered into some antique shops. I am not a collector, but sometimes it is interesting to just look. There are a lot of really pretty antiques. I saw a few that reminded me of my grandmother's things. 

This Coca-Cola sign is perfectly preserved on the side of the old warehouse building that housed the Micanopy museum. I like the way the small towns of America have preserved bits and pieces of their past. We often stop at them if for no other reason than to support the histororic societies and remember how people made a good life with far less stuff than we have in our time.

We wanted to go canoeing on Sunday, but when we went over to the canoe rental area at noon, all of the canoes were out. It was a beautiful day to be on the river. I looked at the two-man kayaks, but decided I did not want to stress my back by sitting with my legs out. We could have gone back again later, but instead decided to take a look at the museum over in our section of the park. It was a pretty good one.  Then we just relaxed at the coach for the rest of the afternoon, and watched the Superbowl when it came on.

Monday we drive about sixty miles to our last planned Florida state park, Manatee Springs. Our stay there will only be four nights. We will try to make the most of it, and get in one more day canoeing if it doesn't rain. 

We also want to go  to WeekiWachee Springs to see the mermaid show.  It is another of those old roadside attractions that were part of the Florida experience years ago. Actually it looks like fun in a hokie sort of way.

Has anyone been there?

Glass Bottom Boat Ride

On Thursday afternoon, the weather warmed up considerably from the morning chill. After running some errands we decided to explore a bit.

Silver Springs State Park has two sections. One is the older Silver River Park with the usual natural trails and campgrounds. It is adjacent to what was, up until 2013, an older, commercial theme park that no longer has all of its roadside attractions such as wild animal shows, reptile and snake shows, and swimming beach.

Silver Springs first opened in the 1870s and is said to be the original location for glass-bottom-boat rides. Over the years it had its ups and downs, and was finally overshadowed as a tourist destination by the Disney parks. Many of the older commercial buildings are in good shape but closed off. I wonder what the state park system will do with them. For now there still is a restaurant, a concert venue, attractive grounds, and the glass bottom boat trips.

Have you ever wondered what is below the surface of the water?

The center section of this flat bottomed boat is plate glass and you can look down into the water from the comfort of your seat. It's better than snorkeling because you don't have to get cold and wet!

Its electric motor is very quiet and the captain answers any questions you may have.

When we were at the dock we were over shallow water and could see lots of water plants. While waiting for the rest of the passengers we saw turtles and fish. 

The water was very clear and still except for where the many springs roiled the water with their output.

We passed over and stopped to examine several of the springs. 

Each was a deep area with a large deeper crack or hole from which the waters gush out.  550 million gallons per day flows out of them, and the water is very pure and crystal clear. The river they head is clear for nine miles downstream.

We saw lots of fish. Most were in groups of three or four, but this was a larger gathering. Our Captain told us that when it was a commercial attraction they would feed the fish and more of them would come to the boats. As a state park, no wild animals or fish are fed so fewer fish are seen.

The glass bottom boat ride only lasted a half hour, but the $10 fare was well worth it. Our Captain has worked at the Springs for 41 years and had a pleasant, well-informed patter. 

As our afternoon wound down we took a walk around the grounds. We noticed something swimming in the springs. It was not a turtle, not a gator, not a child. It was in fact a river otter. Just one of many critters that call this park home.

On Friday, we plan on walking the trail that boarders the back edge of our site. On the map it looks like an easy loop. I'll write about it next time.

[From Craig] Silver Springs SP is a little sad because it's such a beautiful place, and the water flow is so amazing, but the tourist flow they once got, now goes to Disney World.  I want a time-machine RV so we can visit Silver Springs in 1965!

Brrrrr!

Looks like we may have started our move north in Florida too soon. Although Silver Springs State Park, near Ocala, FL is less than 70 miles northwest of the Orlando area, it seems we have crossed a magic temperature line.  Our furnace ran frequently in the night, and the window thermometers read thirty when checked at about 7:30 am.

Speaking of thermometers, I am wondering what kind, if any, window thermometers other Rvers use, and if they seem accurate? 

We have two stick on thermometers that we bought at Camping World. One on each side of the coach, so we can get a reading that is not in direct sun wherever we are parked. One is less than a year old, but Craig says they deteriorate and are no longer accurate. 

Does anyone know of a better choice?

We will only be here for three days. After staying in one place for two weeks at a time for the last three months, I feel like we will be rushed to do much here. Since it is rather cold this morning, we are going to get some groceries and a light bulb for the refrigerator this morning. The forecast is for temps in the high sixties this afternoon so I hope we can get out for a while.

It is our wish that all of our friends in the Northeast are warm and safe.  We remember how cold it was in our childhoods in Wisconsin.

Wekiwa Springs Wrap-Up

Our time is almost up here at Wekiwa Springs State Park, and we must say we have really enjoyed the peacefulness of this place on the edge of Orlando. The weather has been to my liking. It has reached the low 70's most days, with overnight temperatures in the 50's. Quilt and cuddle sleeping weather. We have had some heavy rains in the night, but that only makes the Alfa seem more like a warm, safe, cozy cocoon. 

We have been out for walks most days, either here in this park or at some other nearby places. Most of our treks have been three to four miles on wonderfully level paths.  I like that!

Our last hike was just over six miles in length. We had set out for an eleven mile loop. On the second leg of the loop the trail turned to mud and bog, as it approached this river-run which is connected to the one we canoed on last week.

We kept expecting to get past the bog and find dry trail because we could see the blaze trail markers from time to time, but the muck just kept going on and on. I think it was about a half mile or so, but it sure felt like further!

Eventually we got to a drier place and had a choice between continuing on the blazed trail or taking a service road. I wanted to go down a sandy service road, and Craig wanted to continue on the trail. We tried the trail for another half mile. But when we saw more muck and puddles ahead, we turned around and went back to the road.  

We kept mumbling the State Park slogan "the Real Florida" from time to time. All in all we had no mishaps, and felt like explorers!

We ended up eating our lunch at a picnic table next to the Jeep. The second boggy area eliminated five miles from the loop we had planned. I didn't mind. Six miles is enough to make me sleep well!

Not all of our time was spent in the parks.

For one of our day trips, we went to a "pick it yourself" orange grove. We have been looking for a special orange called a Honey Bell, but none seem to be available either at the groceries or at the roadside grove stands. This grove was out of them as well. We did get some Yellow Navels for juicing and have been having fresh squeezed OJ every day.  Yum! 

There were some friendly farm animals at the orange grove. This longhorn had quite a good spread!

The days have passed quickly, and we made some fun memories, but we are ready to move along on Wednesday.  We have so far to go!  Next stop: 64 miles northwest.

Canoeing at Wekiwa Springs Florida

My first canoeing experience at Jonathan Dickinson State Park was a bit scary, but I got through it and in retrospect was willing to give it another try. At Dickinson I really did not actually see much of the river or the surrounding banks. I was too busy just keeping my balance and learning how to paddle. The group trip was probably a good idea because I felt that someone would rescue me if the canoe tipped over. We had a guide, but we had to travel a little faster than I wanted to in order to keep up.

The waters of the Loxahatchee River at Dickinson were dark and looked deep. The banks were mostly tight tangles of mangrove and didn't look like it would be possible to get ashore if I fell out of the canoe. (You have to remember that in the past I have not been comfortable in any kind of small boat, and would only swim in pools where I could see the bottom.) 

The waters in the run of the Wekiwa Springs are crystal clear, and don't look more than five or six feet deep. You can see almost all of the bottom. There are many places along the banks that if we tipped the canoe, we could probably just walk out of the water.

In view of this, I was up to giving canoeing another go!

I can't express how much better I felt this second time. We were on our own, and decided to go at a very slow pace so we could enjoy the scenery. Craig did a great job of steering, and didn't push me to go faster than I was ready for. In fact, our pace could have been  described as "controlled drifting" most of the time.

These trees looked like three sisters, each going her own way. The greenish color in the foreground is the somewhat sandy bottom.  

Along many of the banks there were large masses of water plants. 

Before we went out, I asked about alligators attacking people who had tipped over their canoes and fallen into the water, and was told not to worry. They did have one teenage boy bitten last year during the gator breeding season when he swam into the water plants where a bull gator was courting. 

It is not breeding season now. If you don't bother them, they won't bother you.

We did see one smallish gator in the water on the edge of some of the plants, but he was too quick to get a picture of.

He wanted to get away from us as much as we wanted to avoid him!

We saw numerous birds and turtles. At one point I spotted a buck deer, who still had his antlers, walking along the edge of the water.

Wanting this to be a "great experience", we turned back before my back started to hurt.  However, by the time we were almost back I started to get leg cramps, a stitch in my side, and my foot fell asleep.  None of which made me regret going. I just wish I had a younger body. I will go again!

Total trip time was an hour and a half.

The memory will last forever.

[From Craig]  Merikay has had an irrational fear of lakes and streams since I know her. It seems that when she was the youngest of five kids, one of her brothers would tell her stories about the monster-fish that lived at the bottom of the inland lakes that her family would visit for recreation. Of course a grown, college-educated woman doesn't actually believe that there are monster-fish down there any more, but without confronting bodies of water like we're doing now, it's hard to get over the residuals.