Campgrounds

A Cycler’s Paradise

On 15th February 2019

In Campgrounds, Florida 2019

Today we left Fort De Soto enroute to Orlando with an overnight stop in Withlacoochee State Forest, Cypress Glenn Campground. Unbeknownst to us, this state forest was home to miles & miles of bicycle trails starting just outside their gates. Between the Rail Trail & the Good Neighbour Trails, we put over 66 kms on our bikes in this amazing area! The Cypress Glenn scenery is difficult to capture and one needs to really experience it to appreciate the beauty.

Another milestone event occurred today, as Winniefred had her first scratch! Jo had always said she would not drive Winniefred until Steve gave her that first scratch so…

She sells Sea Shells …

By Momma Jo

On 14th February 2019

In Campgrounds, Florida 2019

Happy Valentine’s Day! North Beach provided us another day of exploration through the low tide channel waters to a shell collectors paradise! We also came across a barnacled pair of sunglasses which Steve salvaged but eventually conceded they were too long in Davy Jones’ locker. He did come away with a new cord, although it didn’t help the last owner very much! It was pretty near a perfect day and an area we must come back to!

Rain, rain but oh so dry!

By Momma Jo

On 13th February 2019

In Campgrounds, Florida 2019

Today it rained, and rained, and rained, allowing Steve some more Internet time and Jo some alone time. Steve may have spent too much time surfing so once it cleared up, off we went for a short walk to the marina to get Steve out of the doghouse! This off the beaten path trail offered some great photo ops as well as some stunning sunset shots walking home!

BTW, one thing you should know about Fort De Soto, is that it’s a DRY campground with no drinking or possession of alcohol giving us ample time to detox from Marco Island!

Exploring Fort De Soto

By Momma Jo

On 12th February 2019

In Campgrounds, Florida 2019

Today we explored Fort De Soto Park. Checked out the historic Fort De Soto itself, took a walk on the pier, biked via a fantastic trail system to North Beach and the over 1600 parking spaces. That parking lot seemed to go on forever!

We walked the beach for a while then on to explore other areas of the park. This is an amazing location for all types of activities and a very popular spot with snowbirds and locals!

Collier-Seminole State Park

By Momma Jo

On 8th February 2019

In Campgrounds, Florida 2019

Our big adventure here was the canoe ride which Jo was OK with now as it was guided and supposedly no Crocs in this park. The volunteers from the Friends of Collier-Seminole Park offer this 3 hour tour Friday, Saturday & Sunday mornings. We learned so much about the value of the mangroves and Jo became very friendly with them as Steve had some issues steering and videoing at the same time (distracted canoeing I guess?). The volunteers also gave us insight into the local history and other things to do in and around the park. Definitely a must-do!

Heading to the Gulf Coast!

By Momma Jo

On 6th February 2019

In Campgrounds, Florida 2019

The day started with freshly squeezed orange juice by Jo and WiFi for Steve. We headed out of the Keys from US Hwy 1 Mile 0 to Mile 11o. Only photo ops today and no micro-breweries!

Biscayne National Park was a brief stop. A short trail provided a glimpse of Miami across the bay however this park is 95% underwater so we’ll come back when we have more time.

The stop for tonight was at Miccosuke Resort & Casino offering free parking (boondocking again) … well maybe not free for us as we had Surf & Turf for dinner and Happy Hour beer. A noisy night with the Casino generators running at full throttle!

The Overseas Highway

By Momma Jo

On 4th February 2019

In Campgrounds, Florida 2019

Our first stop along this 110 mile Overseas Highway was at the John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park just inside Key Largo for a brief beach walk, aquarium tour & a short hike. Unfortunately, we didn’t get to spend much time here, as it is all about exploring the underwater world however our timing with the scheduled tours just didn’t align.

Now it’s vacation time! In Momma Jo’s mind, it’s not a vacation until you have hit a local craft brewery. And to hit 2 in one day, was a touch of heaven.

We stopped first at the Florida Keys Brewing Co. where Clain, the bartender, was quite the host even letting us behind the bar for a photo op. Just a 1/4 mile back up the road was the Islamorada Distillery & Beer Co. This broke Steve’s rule of never backtracking, but in the end it was well worth it. Here we had Mikey as our bartender who took good care of Jo while Steve had some run tastings of his own just next door. Now, we were still driving so Steve was very limited in his beer & rum intake!

We also stopped at Robbie’s Marina to watch the hustle & bustle of the crowds at this very busy tourist stop. It’s not what one would expect at a marina in that there were markets, many small vendors with their food & souvenirs, a large restaurant & bar, Tarpon Feeding (at a cost) and the normal watercraft rentals. We took it all in from a beach bench and didn’t spend a nickel.

We stopped at a few other photo ops along the way before arriving at Big Pine Key Fishing Lodge. We were fortunate to get the last “rustic” (i.e. unserviced & gravel) site, which will be our home for the next 2 nights as we will be heading Key West tomorrow. Steve has found online a “Key West in 48 Hours” trip which we will be trying to fit into an 8-hour day! Note: Momma Jo is rolling her eyes.

Back to civilization

By Momma Jo

On 3rd February 2019

In Campgrounds, Florida 2019

From the sunsets of Flamingo (and the bugs!) we headed back to Homestead for another re-stocking and revitalization, as we enjoyed a night with electricity to watch the Super Bowl, water to test Winniefred’s shower, & a pool to simply relax!

We were fortunate to get the last site at Southern Comfort RV Resort and we’d highly recommend this location in Homestead. Not that we visited, but it is also conveniently located near a Florida Outlet Shopping Mall.

Everglades – Days 3 & 4

By Momma Jo

On 1st February 2019

In Campgrounds, Florida 2019, Places We've Been

Flamingo Campground – Bug Country!

Today we headed deeper into the Everglades to the home of the crocodiles and mosquitoes! The drive was only 38 miles but it took us over 4 hours, as we stopped to hear the whispers of the park at almost every trail along the way.

Flamingo was quite different from Long Pine. Much more commercialized and a heavy focus on water-based activities such as fishing, kayaking & boating in general. The campground too was a total contrast with simply open fields and pull-thru sites and not a pine tree to be found!

We arrived at check-in only to be advised our site wasn’t quite ready due to an incident requiring the removal of our neighbour by helicopter. So, off to the Marina we went which was located next to the temporary visitor center. This area was hit really hard by Hurricane Irma in 2017 and it’s just now beginning to recover. Many trails were not yet open or passable, especially on bike.

The days here were spent once again with a lot of biking and a little walking, with the Snake Bight trail as our bike highlight. Although Momma Jo wouldn’t use the word “highlight” (see the video here). Here we saw more birds but also the endangered manatees and of course the dreaded crocodile. On the first sighting of the crocs, all hopes were gone for the kayak/canoe rental that Steve was pushing for.

The nights were a different story, as the Gnats or “no-see-ums” were definitely seen by us, as we had an invasion into Winniefred on that first night. We’re still not quite sure how these little flying pests got into the RV but for a while there it seemed like a scene from “Invasion of the Ants!”. A couple across from us from Windsor had mentioned the bugs came out pretty bad at dusk and only afterwards did we put 2 and 2 together with the fact that our new friends closed things up pretty tight just before dusk. In hindsight it must have been hilarious watching us chase and swat this horde of pests that never seemed to end! Lesson learned : Close the sunlight… Not the easiest sleep as we dreamt of bugs, not sheep or lollipops.

Everglades National Park

By Momma Jo

On 30th January 2019

In Campgrounds, Florida 2019

To see the Everglades you need to see it with your eyes closed. It is one of the National Parks that whispers at you. It’s understanding and finding the beauty in the diversity of the ecosystems.
PARK RANGER LEON HOWELL

Long Pine Key Campground

This was the first night of our planned 5 nights of boondocking (i.e. off-grid & no services). An early morning bike ride guided by Park Ranger Olivia. Her enthusiasm for the diversity of the park’s ecosystems was contagious and made us want to explore even more of this wonderful park on our own!

This was the most stunning day, as we biked through the various pine groves; with the long pines reaching for the sky, the green foliage, finger palms and burnt tree trunks provided a picture that brought tears to our eyes, OK… Momma Jo’s eyes.

We had met our neighbours (Sue, Ed & Harry) the night before, and at their campfire they recommended the Anhinga and Gumbo Limbo Trails as great areas for bird & alligator sightings.

Anhinga & Gumbo Limbo Trails

This afternoon we biked to the Royal Palm Visitor Center to explore these trails. Sure enough the ‘gators were out soaking up the heat of the sun and the bird life was spectacular providing many Kodak moments!

Lesson Learned : Take the road less traveled through the back country to the Research Station road, NOT the Main Park road. Too many big rigs for Momma Jo’s liking!

Today’s travels were over 30 kms on the bike and a few more on foot. We passed on the campfire and slept very well under those long pines reaching to the starlit sky! Today’s adventures will be cherished for many years to come.

On the road

By Momma Jo

On 29th January 2019

In Campgrounds, Florida 2019

We’re now over 2900 kms into our trip, as can be seen by our daily odometer snap. Definitely time to freshen up our clothes and perhaps also wash Winniefred! This proved to be quite the challenge as we were driving through Boca Raton; not really the laundromat crowd as most folks here drop their clothes at the dry-cleaners! Jo did finally get her laundry fix while Steve got some quality internet time. Unfortunately Winniefred was either too big for the self-washes or too costly for the express wash locations.

The day ended in the Everglades National Park but only after another Lola misdirection kept sending us to a migrant farm-workers housing community. Strike 2 for Garmin!

Always concentrate on how far you have come, rather than how far you have left to go. The difference in how easy it seems will amaze you.
Heidi Johnson

Long Point Community Park

By Momma Jo

On 26th January 2019

In Campgrounds, Florida 2019

Our next campsite was at this community park just outside Sebastien Inlet State Park. Another adventure for today was exploring Scout Island through the magical Winnie the Pooh door! This park lies in the Indian River Lagoon system and is another great area for fishing, kayaking and boating in general.

We also had a nice visit from Momma Jo’s cousin Harland and his wife, Kim. They spend their winters in Florida and we caught up and took notes on their experiences.

The weather also finally caught up to us on the second night as the rain started and never stopped for over 24 hours!

Tomoka State Park

By Momma Jo

On 23rd January 2019

In Campgrounds, Florida 2019

We are now officially 1 week into our trip and still loving it! Can’t you tell?

We learned a valuable lesson today in that Winniefred can’t play with the big boys. When you visit a truck stop for fuel & propane, don’t go where the truckers go!

This park was rustic and provided a nice disconnect from the outside world. It’s also surrounded the Tomoka & Halifax rivers and a great spot for canoeing (next time!). Did you know Florida has bears? Well, we didn’t see any ourselves but lots of signs, both man-made and natural. The signs also warned us of the alligators but luckily we didn’t see any of those either. I’m surprised Momma Jo left Winniefred!

We stayed here also for 2 nights and that first one was a wicked thunder & lightning enhanced experience. The second day we got the bikes out again and headed to the quaint town of Ormond Beach about 10 kms away. A lovely picnic lunch on Grenada Pier with a visit from a few dolphins while we chatted with the locals fishing from the pier.

Anastasia State Park

By Momma Jo

On 21st January 2019

In Campgrounds, Florida 2019

This day proved the power of positive thinking. We headed to Anastasia State Park knowing that it was full but felt it was worth a try to check it out on our way. Lo and behold as we walked through the door, the ranger just had a cancellation. We booked the next 2 nights right away and what a stay this was!

This was the first time we took the bikes off the rack and we put over 20 kms a day on those bikes riding throughout the park and the nearby town of St. Augustine. The weather here was much more Florida-like! We ate outside, beach-combed, hiked, and simply played in the surf. The warm sand on your bare feet and the sounds of the birds singing… How does it get better than this?

Altamaha Regional Park

By Momma Jo

On 20th January 2019

In Campgrounds, Florida 2019

What a beautiful day but the forecast showed the Arctic Front moving south. We headed out for southern Georgia with Fort McAllister State Park as our planned destination.

To break up the journey we stopped at the Carolina Cider Company. It was definitely the cutest little country store and we tried a few samples of their ciders (Cheery, Blackberry & Muscat). Who could resist the cookie samples too!

Unfortunately the cold front must have forced others southwards, as the campgrounds were full! Thanks to Allstays, we found an opening nearby in Altamaha. Not the busiest campground this time of year with the river levels such that according to our camp host “even the hogs can’t find a dry spot!”. A unique experience for our night alone in the camp but the nicest locals you ever want to meet.

Myrtle Beach!

By Momma Jo

On 18th January 2019

In Campgrounds, Florida 2019

Today’s travel had us enter into South Carolina. We finally de-winterized Winniefred and settled in for a few days at Myrtle Beach State Park.

The warmer weather had us walking barefoot on the beach, picnic lunches on the pier, dipping our toes in the Atlantic Ocean and being mesmerized by the sound of the surf.

Medoc Mountain State Park

By Momma Jo

On 17th January 2019

In Campgrounds, Florida 2019

Today’s travel had us surpass our goal of Virginia as we pushed on to this North Carolina State Park.

We arrived just after sunset and imagine our surprise in the morning, to wake up to this little piece of heaven! The day greeted us with a chill but quickly warmed up to 16 degrees.

How pleasant it was to walk around the campground; it felt like a dream and the peacefulness was almost majestic. This is definitely a place to go back to.

The Vineyard at Hershey

By Momma Jo

On 16th January 2019

In Campgrounds, Florida 2019

We stopped at this Harvest Host location just outside of Hershey, PA. Boondocking the first night with temps still around zero.

Wine tastings at the Vineyard at Hershey included the likes of Firefly, Twisted Kiss, Blood Orange Sangria, Crimson Fox, Frostbite and Cocoa Di Vezzetti. We also tried the unique flavours of Presidential Peanut Butter Cider and ApPaul Revere Apple Pie Cider.

We of course purchased some wine to go and we’d like to thank Chelsea & Morrissa for making this a memorable visit!

Living life, one mile at a time!

Tag: Campgrounds

A Cycler’s Paradise

She sells Sea Shells …

Rain, rain but oh so dry!

Exploring Fort De Soto

Collier-Seminole State Park

Heading to the Gulf Coast!

The Overseas Highway

Back to civilization

Everglades – Days 3 & 4

Flamingo Campground – Bug Country!

Everglades National Park

Long Pine Key Campground

Anhinga & Gumbo Limbo Trails

On the road

Long Point Community Park

Tomoka State Park

Anastasia State Park

Altamaha Regional Park

Myrtle Beach!

Medoc Mountain State Park

The Vineyard at Hershey

Tag: Campgrounds

Flamingo Campground – Bug Country!

Long Pine Key Campground

Anhinga & Gumbo Limbo Trails

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