EG Simmons CP - 03/16/17 - Ruskin, FL

March 16, 2017 through March 22, 2017
EG Simmons County Park
Ruskin, Florida

We are slowly working our way north through Florida as milder weather begins to creep northward. On this leg of our journey we will spend a few days at the EG Simmons County Park in Ruskin, Florida. Fortunately, all campsites are first-come-first-serve and we had no problem selecting one to our liking from several available.

There are two campgrounds at EG Simmons County Park: East and West. We prefer the more spacious campsites in the East Campground.

EG Simmons County Park is close to Sarasota (39 miles) to the south and Tampa (29 miles) to the north which is an easy drive to visit both places. In Sarasota we enjoy visiting the Ringling Brothers Circus. In Tampa we enjoy visiting Ybor City and dining at the many fine Cuban resturants that encompass this area.

Just a short drive north of EG Simmons County Park, 7 miles on US-41, is the Manatee Viewing Center (6990 Dickman Rd, Apollo Beach, FL). It is located just south of the Teco Big Bend Power Station. Manatees hang out along the warm water discharge canal from the power station when the Tampa Bay water gets too cold. The viewing season runs from November 1 to April 15, 10:00 am to 5:00 pm.

There are “No-See-Ums” at EG Simmons County Park. They are a family of tiny biting flies that can be quite pesty at times. They are often just as much of a pest as mosquitoes. They are attracted to carbon dioxide, therefore, CO2 mosquito traps can be used to attract and kill them. We have found Avon Skin-So-Soft to be an effective deterrent to these tiny pests. Fortunately, on this visit we did not encounter a problem with them.

Tomorrow another adventure begins.

Travel Details:
Departed: Cedar Key, FL
Departure Time: 9:50 am
Arrived: Ruskins, FL
Arrival Time: 3:45 pm

Campground: EG Simmons County Park
Type: County Park
GPS Coordinates:
Latitude: N 27.73900
Longitude: W 088.46600

Camping Fees: $18.00 with Senior Discount
Campsite: 103 – East Campground
Campsite Hookups: Electric & Water
Campground Amenities:
Flush Toilets, Free Hot Showers, Water Spigots, Trash Dumpster, Sewer Dump

Verizon Cellular Service: 4G-3 Bars
Verizon Internet Service: 4G-3 Bars (Jetpack)
Dish TV Satellite Service: Excellent Service

Miles traveled today: 252