Apalachicola NF - 03/13/13

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Wednesday – March 13, 2013

We departed the Clearwater Lake Campground in the Ocala National Forest at 10:30 a.m. Our destination is a campground somewhere within 100 miles of Panama City, Florida. We decided to take route US-98 to our destination. This route runs through dense forests and several small quaint towns along the Gulf of Mexico coastline. To reach US-98 our route took us west on FL-42 to north on I-75 to northwest on US-27 to Alt. US-27 to US-19/98 to west on US-98, that we picked up in Perry, Florida.

The towns showcase expansive beachfront homes, elevated above the beach about 20 feet on approximately 4-foot square concrete pillars. Several homes had wrap-around porches providing a panoramic view of the Gulf. Oyster bars abound along this route providing succulent delights for the oyster aficionado.

At 4:00 p.m. we were approaching the Apalachicola National Forest. There are two campgrounds within this forest we decided we would check out: Hickory Landing and Wright Lake. Both campgrounds are accessed on FL-65, 2.5 miles south of Sumatra, Florida or 23 miles north of US-98. Hickory Landing is located one mile and Wright Lake is located two miles west of FL-65 on Forest Road 101, a hard-packed sand road.

Hickory Landing Campground is a primitive campground surrounded by a pine tree forest, no hookups and vault toilets. This campground was not suitable for our camping lifestyle. Wright Lake was a pleasant surprise. Spacious campsites, water hookups at each site, restroom facilities with flush toilets and hot water showers and a dump station. Decision made! We selected site #15 that faced the lake and settled in for the night.

The Wright Lake Campground is a small campground containing 20 campsites and a picnic area. There is a small lake with a swimming beach adjacent to the campground that is bordered by a dense pine tree forest. This is an excellent choice for campers looking for a campground to spend one night or several days.

Camping Fee: $5.00 per night with our Golden Age Pass.
Campsite: 15

Total miles traveled: 291

Tomorrow another adventure begins.

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Clearwater Lake CG - 03/12/13

Tuesday – March 12, 2013

We departed Naples, Florida at 10:35 a.m. We have spent the last seven days with my sister and her husband at their home in Naples. We had a wonderful visit with them and thoroughly enjoyed the gourmet dishes my sister prepared for dinner each evening. She has extraordinary culinary skills and never fails to amaze us with her tasty meal preparations.

Our destination today is the Clearwater Lake Campground in the Ocala National Forest. Our route took us north on I-75 to US-17 to US-27 to US-19 to east on FL-42 to the entrance to the Clearwater Lake Campground. We arrived at 4:20 p.m. and were assigned campsite #5 in Loop 1. We were not pleased with this campsite and scouted the campground for a more suitable site. We selected campsite #40 in Loop 2 and the park ranger accepted our request to be reassigned to this campsite. We are now happy campers and anticipate spending a peaceful night here.

Before retiring for the evening it was still light so we took a stroll throughout the campground. Loop 1 contains 23 campsites and are designated for use by day campers. Some of the campsites face the Clearwater Lake. Loop 2 contains 19 campsites and are designated for use by multi-day campers. The best campsites in Loop 1 are: 8, 9, 10 and 20. The best campsites in Loop 2 are: 25, 26, 28, 36 and 38. Site 38 would be our first choice and site 28 would be our second choice. Both Loops have restroom facilities with flush toilets and hot showers. All campsites can be reserved.

The Clearwater Lake Campground is a very nice campground bordered by a small lake with a swimming beach. Canoes are available for rental at the beach. Our favorite campground within the Ocala National Forest still remains the Alexander Springs Campground. On our future visits, Clearwater will be a backup if campsites are not available at Alexander Springs.

Camping Fee: $9.25 per night with our Golden Age Passport.
Campsite: 40

Total miles traveled: 216

Tomorrow another adventure begins.

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Family Reunion - 03/09/13

Saturday - March 9, 2013

We had company at my sister’s home today. A second cousin and her daughter were vacationing at Marco Island, Florida and my sister had invited them to spend the day with us at her home.

What a wonderful time we had together. My sister had prepared some delicious cold crab salad and shrimp salad dishes for our lunch that we dined on in her formal dining room. Afterward, we retired to their beautifully landscaped enclosed lanai, overlooking the golf course for dessert. We had a wonderful strawberry swirl pound cake, topped with fresh strawberries, for dessert. The ambience of this setting was further enhanced by the sound of water splashing into their pool from the water fountain. My sister excels at entertaining and preparing mouth-watering gourmet dishes. She once again showcased her extraordinary culinary skills.

This was the first time I had seen our cousin in probably sixty to seventy years. There is a thirteen-year age difference between us, so I was a very young boy the last time we had seen one another. Our cousin is a very young 86 years, very computer literate and mentally sharp as anyone half her age. Her daughter is a retired schoolteacher, who is an absolute delight to be around. She and her mother are so very easy to carry on a conversation with and both share a wonderful sense of humor. Fond memories were rekindled during conversations of relatives who have since passed on and those who are still with us. My, how the years seemed to have just passed by in the blink of an eyelid. Strange, how the older we get we are reminded of how precious each new day is and not to be taken for granted.

My cousin lives in Kalamazoo, Michigan and her daughter lives in Lansing, Michigan. Since we live in Illinois and often camp in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, we now have an excuse to make a few stops along the way to just say hello and maybe grab a quick lunch with them, if their schedule permits.

Tomorrow another adventure begins.

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Naples, FL - 03/06/13

Wednesday – March 6, 2013

We departed the Flamingo Campground in the Everglades National Park at 10:30 a.m. This trip completed our very enjoyable visit of 28 days. Our destination today is Naples, Florida with a stop for lunch at the City Seafood Restaurant in Everglade City, Florida.

We arrived in Naples at 3:55 p.m. and will spend six days with my sister and her husband at their home there.

Total miles traveled: 185

Tomorrow another adventure begins.

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Flamingo - 02/28/13

Thursday – February 28, 2013

We spent a very peaceful and restful first night at the Flamingo Campground in the Everglades National Park. We are both enjoying the convenience and added comfort of the electrical hookup at our campsite. There were frequent rain showers throughout the evening, providing a soothing patter of raindrops upon the roof of our trailer.

A cold front from the north is approaching southern Florida, producing a chilly evening and morning with the temperatures in the low 60’s. As the day evolved, a partially sunny sky produced a temperature in the mid-70’s. We decided this would be a good time to explore the area on our bicycles.

We explored our campground first, Loop T, followed by the Loop A, B and C campgrounds. Loop T has 65 campsites restricted to trailer or motorhome campers. No tent camping is allowed on any of these sites. Sites 1 through 41 have electric hookups. Loops A, B and C are available for tent, trailer or motorhome campers. There are no electric hookups at these campgrounds. Loop A has 55 campsites. Loop B has 59 campsites and Loop C has 56 campsites. Loop C was closed due to low campsite demand. We then followed the road out of the Flamingo campground that took us past the campground entrance. A short distance from the entrance, another road veers off to the right that takes the visitor to the Walk-In camping area located adjacent to the Florida Bay.

The Walk-In camping area resembles a vast manicured grassy wasteland. The area is dotted with palm trees and small deciduous trees overlooking the vast expanse of the Florida Bay. The camping area contains 65 sites and is about one football field wide by two football fields long. This area is designated tent camping only. Campers park their vehicles in the designated parking areas and walk a short distance to their tent sites. This is a very popular area for tent campers as well as the favorite area for all campers to view the gorgeous sunsets over the open water.

At the end of the Walk-In camping area, there is a paved walking / bike path that terminates at the park Marina and Visitor Center. This is about a one-half mile, winding pathway that hugs the shoreline and presents the visitor with numerous visual delights. A highlight of our trip on this pathway was spotting a huge Osprey nest at the top of what appeared to be a dead tree. There were two restless young Ospreys in the nest testing their wings for their maiden flight.

Visitors to the Marina Center have the opportunity to enjoy two tour boat options. One tour traverses the Florida Bay and the other tour traverses a canal through the Everglades. Both tours are narrated and provide the visitor with opportunities to view an abundance of wildlife and beautiful scenery.

We returned to our campsite contented from our day of exploring this sub-tropical paradise.

Tomorrow another adventure begins.

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Walk-In Tent Camping Area in Picture Below

Flamingo Campground - 02/27/13

Wednesday – February 27, 2013

We had a few rain showers last night and awoke to an overcast sky this morning. It is time for us to depart the Long Pine Key Campground in the Everglades National Park.

We departed the Long Pine Key Campground at 10:25 a.m., traveling southwest through the very scenic Everglades National Park. We arrived at the Flamingo Campground at 11:10 a.m. We had previously made reservations for an electric site here and were assigned campsite #4 upon our arrival. This is an end site and is the first site on the second row. It is a very spacious site with several shade trees. We will definitely request this site on our future visits. It will be very nice to have an electric hookup for our seven nights stay here.

The Flamingo campground is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean on the east and the Gulf of Mexico on the west. Boat access to both oceans is through the Florida Bay, located at the southern tip of the Everglades National Park. Non-electric tent, trailer or RV camping is available in camping Loops A, B and C. Electric and non-electric trailer or RV camping is available in Loop T. Non-electric Walk-In camping is available on the beachfront area by the Florida Bay.

Loops A and B campgrounds have restrooms with flush toilets and solar powered warm water showers. Loops C and T campgrounds have restrooms with flush toilets and cold water showers.

Camping Fee: $15.00 per night with our Golden Age Passport.
Campsite: 4

Total miles traveled today: 36

Tomorrow another adventure begins.

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Under The Weather - 02/25/13

Monday – February 25, 2013

Well the flu bug finally got us. I got hit with it on Monday, February 18. After a couple of bouts of nausea and total fatigue on Tuesday, followed by a coughing spasm on Wednesday, I was finally on the road to recovery on Thursday.

Sharon got hit with the flu bug on Thursday evening, February 21. She obviously contacted it from me as a result of our confined living quarters in the trailer. Fortunately, Sharon did not experience any bouts of nausea and is feeling much better.

We chalked up our speedy recoveries to getting our flu shots back in September 2012. At any rate that’s our story and we’re sticking to it!

There is a 14-day camping limit at National Park campgrounds. After 14 days, campers may stay additional days at the discretion of the Park Ranger. We exceeded the 14-day limit on Wednesday, February 20, 2013, at the Long Pine Key Campground. We have reservations for an electric hookup site for seven nights at the Flamingo Campground starting on Wednesday, February 27, 2013. The Flamingo campground is located 34 miles within the park from our present campground. Since the Long Pine Key campground has never been filled up during our stay, the park ranger has granted us additional days on a day-to-day basis.

The weather here in southern Florida has been exceptional, sunny days with temperatures in the mid-80’s. It feels good to be feeling better so we can enjoy the outdoor lifestyle here.

Tomorrow another adventure begins.

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