Blog

The winds and tides were against us on this 2 week trip to Bahia Honda State Park in the Florida Keys. As we pulled into the park you could smell a really ripe odor. Not only was the sargassum seaweed washing on shore in record… Read more: OOH OOH That Smell

Memorial Day week was spent exploring the forts and beaches in Flager County. We stayed at Gamble Rogers State Park for 6 nights and rested, relaxed, and learned some history. St Augustine is about 50 miles north of Gamble Rogers State park. There are 2… Read more: Forts and Beaches

The last 2 night stop on this trip was at Colt Creek State Park, on the north side of Lakeland FL. We needed to go to the Truma repair center in Lakeland to get the heater in Floridays fixed as it is only working on… Read more: Last But Not Least

Stephwn C Foster Folk Culture Center State Park in White Springs Florida is located on the Swanee River. The state song of Florida is “Old Folks at Home”, which was written by Stephen C Foster in 1851. You might know it better by it’s first… Read more: Way Down Upon The Swanee River

We were searching for some good vibrations for 1 night and we found it, a water front campsite at St Andrews State Park in Panama City, FL. So Easter Sunday we picked up and headed off to soak up some good vibrations at the beach.… Read more: Good Vibrations

We drove through Alabama on our way back to Florida and we crossed over into the Central Tome Zone where we will spend the next 3 nights. Eufaulla AL looks like a cool place to stay and explore. Our first stop is Three Rivers State… Read more: Checking Out A New Time Zone

To get to F.D. Roosevelt State Park you drive up and down hills along an 11 mile winding road. We found out about a back way into the park which was easier to drive. This park is Georgia’s largest state park at 9,049 acres. We… Read more: A Long and Winding Road

We left Comer, drove through Athens and then headed down the Atlanta Highway to Stone Mountain Campground. This was the closest campground I could find that was near a Marta station so we could go into Atlanta to see my sister. We did not want… Read more: Headin’ Down The Atlanta Highway

We spent 3 nights at Watson Mill Bridge State Park exploring the bridge, waterfalls, and trails. This bridge is the longest covered bridge in Georgia at 229 feet. It spans the South Fork River and was built in 1885 by Washington W. King, the son… Read more: Covered Bridge and Wildflowers

I think we had the best campsite of the trip at Mistletoe State Park and we booked it the day before we arrived. It was level and right on Clarks Hill Lake. A beautiful view and one we enjoyed while it was raining for the… Read more: A River Runs Through…Our Campsite

We booked George L Smith State Park for 2 reasons. One it is near Statesboro GA, so we could visit our niece and two because of the picture of the cypress trees on their website. Camping 2 nights here was not enough. Our campsite backed… Read more: Amoung the Cypress

Savannah is where my parents retired over 30 years ago. We were able to do some sightseeing, spend some time with them as well as do our laundry as that is what kids do when they visit their parents. We had the best tea and… Read more: Family Time

When exploring the US you will eventually run into a fort and sometime more than one fort. Fort Federica on St Simons Island, GA was founded by James Ogelthorpe in 1736. Georgia at that time in history was between the English to the north and… Read more: Forts, Forts and More Forts

Wayne always asked, Is it as good as I remember? or Am I just thinking it is good? This year we spent 6 nights camping on Jekyll Island. We woke up everyday before the sunrise to get to the beach to photograph dead trees. Each… Read more: Dead Trees On A Beach in Georgia

Living in the slow lane allowed us time to visit St Augustine again prior to our Georgia excursion. Anastatsia State Park was our first stop, which I had booked over a year ago as it is one of the most difficult parks to reserve a… Read more: Springtime On The First Coast

Our second RV trip of the year was to check out some more of the Georgia State Parks. We enjoyed staying at Skidaway Island State Park last November and have been to Jekyll Island 2 times in 2023 and 2024. This trip allowed us to… Read more: Got Georgia On Our Mind

Silver Springs State Park is at the top of our list for favorite state parks. We camped here in 2023 and 2024. Each time was good and I figured to end our 7 week trip here would be the cherry on top. The afternoon we… Read more: Saved The Best For Last

Hillsborough River State Park also canceled our reservations due to hurricane damage in the campground, so we booked the nights at Seven Sisters Campground in Homosassa FL. The Crystal River and Homosassa area of Florida is another favorite of ours. There is so much to… Read more: Manatee, Hippo and History

Our next 2 stops were for kayaking more rivers. Little Manatee River State Park and Alafia River State Park. The rivers were both low but still beautiful. Alafia State Park is geared more towards moutain biking than kayaking. There is no lauch to the Alafia… Read more: Back To The Rivers

I messed up. There had to be an issue somewhere along this trip. Wayne loves Fort Desoto park in Tierra Verde. The North beach is great for bird photography. So when I was making the reservations for this trip I booked Lake Manatee State Park… Read more: A Change of Plans

Myakka River State Park is also suffering from hurricane damage. The park has no potable water but the ranger station has free 1 gallon jugs of drinking water. The famous canopy walk and bird boardwalk are damaged and undergoing repair. We did not let this… Read more: No Water, No Canopy Walk, No Problem

Oscar Scherer State Park is located in Osprey FL. Other campers have said this is one of their favorite parks and we found out why. We paddled, hiked, and biked. The launch for South Creek is in the park and we kayked the creek and… Read more: Do You Think We Will See a Scrub Jay?

The land for Koreshan State Park was deeded to the state in 1966 by the remaining members of the Koreshan Unity Community. Dr Cyrus Teed was the founder of the group and he established a Planatary Council made up of 7 women to rule the… Read more: A Different View

Big Cypress National Preserve was our next stop. Saying we love this area of Florida would be an understatement. There is so much wildlife, the people are extremly nice and there are so many adventurous activities to do. Collier-Seminole State Park cancelled our reservations as… Read more: Want to See Some Alligators?

Going to the Everglades in winter with the weather being cold and windy should have kept the mosquitos at bay. Should is the operative word. It did not. If you were on the windy side you were ok but once you stepped out of the… Read more: We Became Part of the Food Chain

What better place to start taking it easy and slowing down than the Florida Keys. We will have to learn how to sit still and relax as these are not our strong points. Our first campground was the southern most state park you can stay… Read more: Headed All The Way to Key West

Wayne and I are throttling down and taking Time to Look Around. The last day of work for both of us was Dec 31, 2024. WooHoo!! Some people never want to retire, Wayne and I could not wait. Both of us have worked since we… Read more: Riding in the Slow Lane

2024 was a year of completing projects, mainly our backyard. We worked on the design and installed lighting, pathways and native plants. I will do a post in 2025 showing the before and after photos. There was some camping and good memories made along with… Read more: 2024 Recap

Dates: Nov 23-24, 2024 Campsite: 33 Amenities: Water, Electric What we learned: Get up early to see the manatees Would we go back: Yes Website: Blue Springs State Park Breaking up the drive home was a great idea. I wonder who thought of that? We… Read more: Trip 7b – Blue Springs State Park

Dates: Nov 20-23, 2024 Campsite: 20 Amenities: Water, Electric What we learned: Explore the camp store Would we go back: Yes Website: Skidaway Island State Park A short trip to Savannah GA to celebrate my parents 60th wedding anniversary. We stayed at Skidaway Island State… Read more: Trip 7a – Skidaway Island State Park

Dates: Nov 8 – 11, 2024 Campsite: 105 Amenities: Water, Electric What we learned: Keep checking website for canceled campsites Would we go back: Yes Website: Anastasia State Park Anastasia State Park is one of the more difficult state parks to get a reservation at… Read more: Trip 6 – Anastasia State Park

Palm Beach County FL has many areas to kayak and one of our favorites is Loxahatchee Slough in Palm Beach Gardens. The 4 mile trail (out-n-back) is never crowded and you feel as though you are in the Everglades. We often bring a lunch or… Read more: Loxahatchee Slough

Dates: Aug 29 – Sept 2, 2024 Campsite: 157 Amenities Water, Electric What we learned: Taking bikes and kayaks was not bad Would we go back: Yes Website: Long Point Campground Wayne and I escaped for the Labor Day weekend. The trip was unexpected and… Read more: Trip 5 – Long Point

Dates: July 18-21, 2024 Campsite: 40 Amenities: Water, Electric What we learned: get on the water early Would we go back: yes, but in the spring Website: Silver Springs State Park This is the second time we have been to Silver Springs. Though we had… Read more: Trip 4 – Silver Springs

Dates: July 12-14, 2024 Campsite: 12 Amenities: Electric, water What we learned: It is good to have friends that can assist in booking a tough campsite Would we go back: Yes Website: Bahia Honda Our friends go to Bahia Honda every summer for 2 weeks… Read more: Trip 3 – Bahia Honda

Concerts, National Parks, and a wedding were on the agenda Atlanta – Planes & Trains For Waynes birthday we flew to Atlanta, took the MARTA train from the airport to the CNN station. We went to see The Rolling Stones at the Atlanta Falcons stadium.… Read more: Trip 2 – Planes, Trains, Automobiles and a Ferry

Dates: April 20-21, 2024 Campsite: 22 Amenities: Water, Electric What we learned: We do not have to go to all the state parks Would we go back: No Website: Faver Dykes State Park We drove A1A from Jacksonville and stopped in St Augustine to check… Read more: Trip 1c – Faver Dykes State Park

Dates: April 17 – 20, 2024 Campground: Huguenot Campground Site: 20 Amenities: Electric, water What we learned: We picked a good site Would we go back? Yes Website: Jacksonville parks Our the way to our second stop on our trip we stopped at Fort Clinch… Read more: Trip 1b – Jacksonville, FL

Dates: April 13 – 17, 2024 Campground: Jekyll Island Campground Site: J1 Amenities: Water, Sewer, Electric What we learned: We really like this island Would we go back? Yes, booked for 2025 already Website: Jekyll Island Campground It only took 4 months to get back… Read more: Trip 1a – Jekyll Island

We did not travel as much as we wanted to in 2023. Mostly due to the campgrounds being booked in the winter and spring, so we took that time and redesigned our front yard with native plants and added a driveway so Floridays will have… Read more: 2023 Recap

Dates: Dec 22 – 26, 2023 Campsite: 18 Amenities Water, Electric, Sewer What we learned: Taking 2 vehicles has good sides and bad sides Would we go back: yes Website Wekiwa Springs State Park This is the 2nd Christmas in a row we have camped.… Read more: Trip 16 – Wekiwa Springs State Park

Date: Dec. 9, 2023 Campsite: 34 Amenities: Electricity What we learned: Waiting to do something has its advantages Would we go back: Yes Website: Flamingo Camping The boat trip that had to be rescheduled from last Christmas when it as 34 degrees, windy and rainy… Read more: Trip 15 – 36 hours in the Everglades

Date: Nov 21 – 26, 2023 Site: 9 Amenities: Electricity What we learned: When asking for kayaking river condition information make sure it is from someone who been there recently Would we go back: yes Website: Midway Campground Thanksgiving 2023 was spent in southwest Florida.… Read more: Trip 14 – Midway Campground

Dates: Nov 9 – 12, 2023 Campsite: #15 Amenities: Water, Electric What we learned: Ask if there is a water site available due to cancellation Would we go back: Yes, try to get a water site Website: Trimble Park Wayne and I have wanted to… Read more: Trip 13 – Trimble Park

A quick weekend away to the west coast of Florida. I saw that the Southeastern sunflowers were in bloom at Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary and I wanted to see them before they were gone for the year. We got a hotel for 1 night and drove… Read more: Trip 12 – Corkscrew Swamp and the Loop Rd

As much as we would like too, we cannot go away every weekend. Palm Beach country has many outdoor parks to explore. One of the parks is Loxahatchee Slough. This is a 12,957 acre site that has many habitats. You can bike, hike, fish, kayak… Read more: Trip 11 – Loxahatchee Slough

We did not stay at Kissimmee Prairie Preserve State Park this weekend, we just stopped by to check it out on the way home. As it is very wet we wanted to see what the park looked like and what we would see. We always… Read more: Trip 10b – Kissimmee Prairie Preserve State Park

Date: Sept 22-24, ,2023 Campsite: 124 Amenities: Water, Electric What we learned: Visit friends while you are near them Would we go back? Yes, once catwalk is fixed Website: Highland Hammock State Park Highland Hammock State Park is about 2 1/2 hours from our home.… Read more: Trip 10a – Highland Hammock

Date: Sept 4 – 6, 2023 Campsite: 27 Amenities: Water, Electric What we learned: Get up early Would we go back? yes Website: Gamble Rogers State Park After a short morning kayak trip up Bull Creek to photography the Scarlet Rosemallow, a Hibiscus species found… Read more: Trip 9b – Bulow Plantation, Gamble Rogers

Dates: Sept 2-3, 2023 Campsite: 18 Amenities: Electric, water, sewer What we learned: It’s nice to be the only people at the campground. Would we go back? Yes Website: Flagler County Labor Day weekend must be lucky for us as we scored 2 nights at… Read more: Trip 9a – Bull Creek Fish Camp

My sister asked if she could get married on my birthday and of course, I said yes. Wayne wanted to do something special for me as this was a big one. We decided to do something we have always wanted to do but never have.… Read more: Trip 8 – Bimini Bahamas

Date: June 17 – 20, 2023 Campsite: Big Pine Key Resort, Site 98 Amenities: Water, Electric, Sewar, TV What did we learn? There are other options than Bahia Honda Would we go back? Yes Website: https://covecommunities.com/rv-resorts/florida/big-pine-key-resort/ Our first trip to the Florida Keys won’t be… Read more: Trip 7 – Big Pine Key & Key West

Dates: June 3 – 6, 2023 Campsite: 26 Amenities: Water, electric What we learned? Need a better checklist (we forgot the cooler for the kayak and had to buy one) Would we go back? yes Website: https://silversprings.com Wayne’s Birthday trip was to Silver Springs State… Read more: Trip 6 – Silver Springs State Park

Dates: April 15 – 19, 2023 Campsite: F8 Amenities: Water, Electric, Sewer What we learned: Get up early to catch the sunrise Would we go back? Definitely Yes Website: https://www.jekyllisland.com/lodging/campground/ Floridays first excursion out of Florida was to Jekyll Island, Georgia for our 24th wedding… Read more: Trip 5 – Jekyll Island

Dates: March 31 – April 2, 2023 Campsite: 36 Amenities: Water, electricity What did we learn? to sit under the awning Would we come back? yes Website: https://www.floridastateparks.org/parks-and-trails/lake-kissimmee-state-park After checking in with the ranger it is a 3-mile drive into the park to the campground.… Read more: Trip 4d-2023 – Lake Kissimmee State Park

Dates: March 28 – 31, 2023 Campsite: 50 Amenities Water, electricity What did we learn? to relax Would we come back? maybe, and bring bikes Website: https://www.floridastateparks.org/parks-and-trails/lake-louisa-state-park After check-in, it is a 3-mile drive to the campsite area. This park is hilly and you can… Read more: Trip 4c-2023 – Lake Louisa State Park

Dates: March 27 – 28, 2023 Campsite: 73 Amenities Water, electricity, sewer What did we learn? Always try something new Would we go back? Yes Website: https://www.recreation.gov/camping/campgrounds/233920 Salt Spring Recreation Park is operated by National Park Service and they hold a few spots open on… Read more: Trip 4b-2023 – Salt Springs Recreation Area

Dates: March 25-26, 2023 Campsite: 80 Amenities: water, electric What we learned: It is ok to quit kayaking early Would we go back? maybe Website: https://www.floridastateparks.org/Tomoka We arrived on Saturday afternoon, it was easy to get into the park and easy to find our campsite.… Read more: Trip 04a-2023 – Tomoka State Park

Dates: March 25 – April 2, 2023 Campgrounds: 4 Miles driven: 535 Miles What did we learn? It is hard to decide what to bring Kayaks or bikes? Our trip turned into a spring break trip. We had 2 weekends booked back to back and… Read more: Trip 04-2023 – Spring Break

Dates: March 8 – 12, 2023 Miles: 340 Campsite: 22 Amenities: Water, Electric What did we learn? The Verizon gateway works on the road, no need to take a vacation day Would we go back? Yes Website: http://venicecampground.com Wayne had a seminar he had to… Read more: Trip03-2023 – Venice FL

Date Feb 17 – 19, 2023 Campsite: 1 Features: boon-docking What we learned: If your battery runs down your van wont start Would we go back? yes Website: https://secure.rzda.net/sfwmd/list.cfm Floridays is 1 year old and we have come back to our first campsite to boondock… Read more: Trip 02-2023 – Istokpoga Canal Campsite

Date: Feb 11-12, 2023 Mileage: 196 Campsite: 33 What we learned: Take advantage of Ranger-led programs Would we go back: Yes Website: https://www.floridastateparks.org/parks-and-trails/kissimmee-prairie-preserve-state-park 2023 has started out slow on the RV camping front. We spent most of January working on the house so it is… Read more: Trip 01-2023 – Kissimmee Prairie State Park

WOW, what a year. Purchasing Floridays in February was one of the best decisions we have made. As I reflect back on 2022 most end-of-year posts have lists so here is ours: Number of trips – Goal 11 Number of trips – Actual 14 Number… Read more: 2022 Recap

Dates: Dec 23 – 26, 2022 Campground & site Flamingo, #40 Amenities 30amp What we learned: Found a good seafood market in Homestead to get stone crab claws. Would we go back? Yes Website: https://flamingoeverglades.com/ Going away for Christmas is new for us. We usually… Read more: Trip 15 – Everglades National Park

Date: Nov 28 – 29, 2022 Campsite: #46 Amenities: 20 amp, water What we learned: Maximize your time at a park you are only there for a short time Would we go back? Yes Website: Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park Since traffic usually is bad… Read more: Trip 14e – Paynes Prarie Preserve State Park

Dates: Nov 24 – 26, 2022 Campsites: #10, #14 Amenities: 30 amp, water, sewer What did we learn: How to enjoy the area around the park. Would we go back? Yes Parks website: Grayton Beach State Park Even more exciting than pitcher plants and the… Read more: Trip 14d – Grayton Beach State Park

Dates: Nov 23 – 24, 2022 Campsite: #28 Amenities: 20/30/50 amp, water What we learned: Ask the ranger where to find plants or animals you are wanting to see. Would we go back? Yes Parks website: Fred Gannon Rocky Bayou State Park On the way… Read more: Trip 14c – Fred Gannon Rocky Bayou State Park

Date: Nov 21 – 23, 2022 Campsite: 43 Amenities: 30 amp, water What we learned Download All Trails maps prior to heading out on a trail walk Would we go back? Yes Park website: Dr Julian G Bruce St George Island State Park The drive… Read more: Trip 14b – St George Island State Park

Date: Nov 19 – 21, 2022 Campsite: Magnolia 1 Campsite #9 Amenities: 30 amp, water What we learned: Do not trust Google maps for how long the drive is Would we go back? yes Park website: Manatee Springs State Park The first stop on our… Read more: Trip 14a – Manatee Springs State Park

Dates: Nov 19 – 27, 2022 Parks visited: Manatee Springs State Park *Dr. Julian G. Bruce, St Georges Island State Park *T.H. Stone Memorial, St Joseph Peninsula State ParkFred Gannon Rocky Bayou State Park *Grayton Beach State Park *Deer Lake State ParkEden Gardens State ParkPaynes… Read more: Trip 14 – 8 state parks in 9 days

Date: Oct 29 – Oct 31, 2022 Location: Everglades National Park Flamingo Campground Type: 30 amp Miles: 358 Miles Campsite: # 40 What we learned: Don’t forget the bug spray Would we go back: Yes, we are booked for Christmas Web site: https://flamingoeverglades.com Our Favor… Read more: Trip 13 – Everglades National Park

Date: Sept 23 – 26, 2022 Location: Ft De Soto, St Petersburg, FL Type: 30 amp, water Mileage: 430 miles Campsite: 211 What did we learn: To watch the weather Would we go back? Yes Website: Pinellas County FL We finally got to stay at… Read more: Trip 12 – Fort De Soto

Date: Sept 4 – 6, 2022 Location: Gamble Rogers State Park Type: water, 30 amp Mileage: 285 miles Campsite: #23 What did we learn: To be inquisitive Would we go back? Maybe Website: https://reserve.floridastateparks.org The beachside campsite was the last one on the right just… Read more: Trip 11b – Gamble Rodgers State Park, Washington Oaks State Park

Date: Sept 2 – 4, 2022 Location Bull Creek Fish Camp Type: water, 30 amp, sewer Mileage: 256 miles Campsite: Bull Creek #13 then #14 What did we learn 1 – To always look at where you are going to park prior to back in.… Read more: Trip 11a – Bull Creek Fish Camp, Bulow Creek State Park

Date: Aug 26 – 28, 2022 Location: Kissimmee Prarie State Park, Horse site and Family site Type: water, 30 amp campsite: Site #23 & #5 Mileage: 196 miles What did we learn? That Florida has some spectacular sunsets Would we come back? Yes Website: https://reserve.floridastateparks.org… Read more: Trip 10 – Kissimmee Prarie State Park

Date: Aug 19 – 21, 2022 Location: Sebastian Inlet State Park Type: water, 30 amp Mileage: 242 miles Campsite: Site #53, #54 What did we learn? Take time to explore the park Would we go back? Yes, and bring kayaks Website: https://reserve.floridastateparks.org/ We booked this… Read more: Trip 9 – Sebastian Inlet State Park

Date: July 8 – 10, 2022 Location: Jonathan Dickinson State ParkPine Grove Campground Type: water, 30 amp, sewer Mileage: 28 miles Site: Site #52 What did we learn: a breeze can keep the bugs at bay Would we come back? Yes Website: https://reserve.floridastateparks.org This was… Read more: Trip 8 – Jonathan Dickinson State Park

Date: May 13 – 15, 2022 Location: Jonathan Dickinson State ParkRiver Campsite Mileage: 31 miles Type: water, 30 amp Campground: Site #122 What did we learn: The noseeums can go through the screen Would we come back? Yes, but in the winter or get a… Read more: Trip 7 – Jonathan Dickinson State Park

Date: May 6 – 9, 2022 Location: Kissimmee Prarie State Park Type: Water, 30 amp Campground: Site #34 Mileage: 196 miles What we learned: How to cook on our new Power XL grill Would we come back? Yes Website: https://reserve.floridastateparks.org/Web/Default.aspx We took a half day… Read more: Trip 6 – Kissimmee Prarie State Park

Date: April 15-17, 2022 Location: Collier-Seminole State Park Type: Water, 30AMP Mileage: 378 miles Campground: Site #29 What we learned: How to put the Kayaks on the RV Would we go back? Yes, but we would kayak the trail in the park Website: https://reserve.floridastateparks.org/Web/ This… Read more: Trip 5 – Collier-Seminole State Park

Date: March 26 – 27, 2022 Location: Kissimmee Prarie State Park Type: Electric – 30 ampWater – YesCampsite #34 Mileage: 196 miles What we learned: Take more water on bike rides Would we go back: Yes Website: https://reserve.floridastateparks.org/Web/Default.aspx This trip was unexpected. Wayne and I… Read more: Trip 4 – Kissimmee Prarie State Park

Date: March 19 – 20, 2022 Location: Highland Hammock State Park, Sebring, FL Type: Electric – 30 ampWater – yesCampsite: #096 Mileage: 253 miles What we learned How to dump the grey and black water tanks Would we go back: Yes, but get a different… Read more: Trip 3 – Highland Hammock State Park

Date: Feb 26-27, 2022 Location: Everglades National Park Type: boon-dock Mileage: 624 miles Campground: Long Pine, Camp Site: #25 What we learned: To check more closely what amenities the campsite has. I thought it had electricity but that was the southern campsite at Flamingo Would… Read more: Trip 2 – Long Pine Campground

“I come from where the rivers meet the sea That’s part of why I’m so wild and fancy free I was early into crazy days My folks said, “It’s just a phase” They were hoping for better days” Floridays, by Jimmy Buffett Floridays is the… Read more: We named her..Floridays

Date: February 12-13, 2022 Location: Istokpoga Canal Campsite, Lorida, FL Type: boon-dock Mileage 215 miles What we learned That we need a checklist Would we go back? Yes, and bring kayaks next time web site for reservations https://secure.rzda.net/sfwmd/list.cfm Wayne and I were so excited when… Read more: Trip 1 – Istokpoga Canal Campsite

About 24 years ago a young girl wanted to learn scuba diving. She went to a place called The Scuba Club in West Palm Beach, FL to take lessons, and little did she know she would learn how to SCUBA dive AND find her soul… Read more: How this all started

Wayne and I made a new purchase this year, a 2022 Winnebago Travato 59K. We have been thinking about our eventual retirement, which is still a few years away, and what are we going to do with all the time together. So we thought if… Read more: The Next Adventure