Fun In The Florida Sun

Tampa,Florida (72 degrees, clear blue ski, perfect)

Crystal Springs 

We have been having the best of time in Florida over the past few weeks. There is a mass exodus of RVers now heading north, but in our opinion this is the one of the best times to visit. The weather is beautiful and everything is less crowed. We were able to confirm last minute reservations at several of our favorite campgrounds too.

Mermaids

We even saw Mermaids (at Weeki Wachee State Park). It is a delightful show which is offered about five times a day. This underwater show is held in a large fresh water spring and the it takes about a year before a mermaid can perform in the show. It was a little piece of Americana. The first show was held in 1946.

Weeki Watchee Mermai

Kayaking

Rainbow Springs (Diana and John)

Rainbow Springs (Pat and John)

We met up with our friends Diana and Pat at Rainbow Springs. It is a beautiful State Park campground with full hook up and an easy kayak launch out to the pretty springs. The weather did not cooperate very well but we managed to get in two nice paddle trips watching the weather closely. The campground is also close to Crystal River and Homosassa  for more kayak opportunities where you can meander through crystal clear water and maybe see a manatee. We saw two!

Crystal River - 

Interesting house boat on Crystal River

We also made a visit to see John's daughter who lives in St. Petersburg and it's great to be so nearby at MacDill AFB campground. It's a military campground in Tampa where we have stayed several times. It had a big renovation, mostly electrical this winter. We like it here a lot and seeing Jen is priceless.

She took us with her friend Kari on a magical paddle trip which went through several mangrove tunnels. There is a water trail at Weedom Island Preserve.which weaves  four miles around islands in Tampa Bay. Be sure to look at a tide chart before going because most of the trail is very shallow. It's a gem. We saw lots of birds and the launch site is very nice with an area to wash off your kayaks afterwards. Sweet!

Weaving through a mangrove tunnel in Weedom Preserve 

Jen loves looking for shells 

Kari paddling through a tunnel

Birding

Fran, Randy, and John checking out a mud flat to see who might be hanging out

Birding is always fun and we had a nice visit with our friends Fran and Randy at Myakka State Park. They are the best birders and it always amazes me to see how well they spot and identify birds. They introduced us to this hobby a few years ago. 

Loggerhead Shrike

Indigo Bunting

Camping

We liked staying at Myakka State Park. However, be sure to confirm a site in the new area. The sites are large and nicely landscaped with full hook ups. The older sites can be very muddy and difficult to navigate in a big rig. We especially liked the Canopy Walkway and Tower and the ranger led air boat tour. Cell signal is minimal at best.

Beautiful canopy trail

We also stayed at two Corp of Engineer Parks (W.P. Franklin and Ortona South) and spent an evening talking to some "lock hoppers". These campgrounds are very reasonable with a senior or access pass and cost only $15/night for water and electric. Most of the sites overlook the water, well spaced, and nicely maintained. The lock hoppers spend the winter moving back and forth every 14 days between the parks. Reservations need to be made well in advance  but it is a super deal for southern Florida. We like watching the boats go through the locks and so appreciate the peace and quiet. Being able to have a fire at night with stars overhead is nice indeed. 

Paddle boat going through the lock

Our site at W.P Franklin

Friends

Randy and Fran with John

Over the past few weeks we met up  with many of our friends  and the time together was great. Until we meet again...happy trails to you!

We will be here for a couple more weeks and will soon be going on a cruise with John's daughter. Life is good!

Karen and Al and Diana and Pat and friends

Back On The Road Again - Possibilities Are Endless

Myakkka River State Park (61 degrees, bright blue skies, chilly)

Roseate Spoonbills - J.N. Ding Darling

I took a rather long sabbatical from blogging.  It has been difficult to write since the loss of John's sister Martha in late October.. She fought bravely against the breast cancer which invaded her body and eventually metastasized. We miss her more than words can express and were grateful to spend some time with her in Sao Paolo Brazil. 

Screech Owl - Green Cay

After returning to the states John had a total knee replacement. It's a tough recovery and we spent two months in Fort Myers Beach area before returning to J.N. Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge to volunteer again this winter. It was like coming home and being surrounded by our many friends was priceless. This was our 4th season and probably will be our last for awhile. Sanibel is a magical place and we never thought we'd repeat our volunteering experience. It lured us back each time with its great birding, lovely beaches, and most of all the volunteer residents (a.k.a. family) we met there.

Fran, Randy, and John checking out all the birds

Wood Storks - Wakodahatche

We did have to leave a little earlier than expected because John's knee started to swell more and his surgeon felt it was best to rest it more in hopes this will calm it down. We also cancelled working at Grand Teton Association in Wyoming this summer and fall. 

Barred Owl - Circe B Bar Reserve

So we suddenly find ourselves with a spring, summer and fall available to fill with all kinds of adventures. We are still in the planning stages and hope to go back out west. We haven't been out there for two years and the mountains and lakes and desert are calling us. 

Tri-color Heron in breeding plumage

For now we are going to hang out in Florida area for a few weeks. A Caribbean cruise is even planned with John's daughter. Stay tuned. If you have any great suggestions let us know. We always say the RV lifestyle needs to be in jello to allow lots of wiggle room. 

Sandhill Crane-check out his red eye

We are now beginning our 6th year trip around the sun as fulltime RVers. What a great lifestyle. Although our plans are ever changing and challenging at times there are lots of possibilities and options to keep whatever lies ahead very interesting.