DOTHAN, AL; Rural Setting

We woke up to the sound of rain on the roof, just as the weatherman had predicted. By 9:30, Hank was definitely wet around the edges from doing the outside chores, and we were ready to hit the road.  We had a leisurely drive to Dothan, AL, which included a long fuel stop due to a very slow diesel pump, a short lunch stop at a rest area, and light rain for the entire drive. The change to CST meant we arrived at A-Okay Mobile Home and RV Park about 1:30 P.M.  This park is fairly new in a rural setting with caring owners who live on the 45-acre site.  It's a basic campground with no facilities other than good hookups, and some lighting.  The owners met us and made sure that Little House was securely settled in a pull-thru spot.  The $12.50 fee (via Passport America) makes this place acceptable for an overnight stay.  Cold weather has returned to Alabama, so we probably won't hear the usual chorus of frogs and crickets from the nearby pond.

AVON PARK, FL TO MADISON, FL: Heading Northwest

We had a great time during our stay at Adelaide Shores near Avon Park, FL and enjoyed lots of visitng and dining with Dee and Jim Walter, formerly of Raleigh.  Saturday we drove south to Naples, FL and visited with Jan and Mary Abrams.  They took us on a short tour of Naples, Mary and Selene strolled on the beach, and we had a wonderful dinner at Snookies Too where the Saturday special is a delicious Prime Rib dinner for $13.99 per person. 

Today it was time to start our leisurely journey to central Alabama in order to arrive by Thursday evening. We left Adelaide Shores about 10:40 and pulled into the Yogi Bear Jellystone Park Camp Resort  just off of I-10 near Madison, Fl. around 4:15.  Since it's off-season for family outings, we're getting a half-price rate for the two nights we'll be here.  I'm sure it's a very busy place for family camping as there are lots of activities for children of all ages.  The facilities are good and there's free WI-fi.  We're about 60 miles east of Tallahassee.

AVON PARK, FL; Wonderful Warmth

Not sure if we'd want to live in Florida all year long, but we're sure enjoying the beautiful warm days we've had since we arrived on Tuesday.  Today is mostly cloudy and windy, with some storms expected tonight, but then more nice weather is ahead.  We've filled our days here with our usual computer time, watching the Olympics, visiting with our friends, pool for Hank and cards for Selene, walking, shopping in the area, and a couple of meals out. Tomorrow we're making a day trip in the car to Naples to visit Mary and Jan Abrams (Hank's cousin) at the campground where they're working.

We've added a day to our stay and are leaving on Monday to head toward central Alabama, arriving there by next weekend.

CLERMONT, FL TO AVON PARK, FL

The last 8 days have been spent at Bee's RV Resort in Clermont, FL  We got to spend time with Raleigh friends Tom and Carol who are spending February at the park as well as Summerdale, AL friends Dottie & Gene who were staying nearby.  We toured some of the surrounding areas and of course we sampled local cuisine.  One of the highlights was the Yalaha Bakery where we enjoyed a lunch plate that included a bratwurst, German potato salad and sauerkraut with a freshly baked sandwich roll, and listened to the live music, all taking place outdoors on a beautiful Florida day. The bakery delicacies were delicious-looking, but we were no longer hungry after eating our lunch plate.

Today was move day as we traveled south on US 27 from Clermont to Avon Park, arriving at Adelaide Shores RV Resort about 1 P.M.  Our old friends Dee & Jim, and new friends Judy and Jim are spending a good part of their winter in this park.  We look forward to spending time with them over the next 5 days until we leave the campground on Feb. 23rd.  This is our 3rd February visit to this campground.  Once again, we're getting a price break as part of a group membership.

We've definitely found the warm weather we've been searching for with predicted highs in the 80's for the next week.

CLERMONT, FL: Down Time

The weather during our stay at Hamcation changed dramatically.   The event officially began at noon on Friday, and unfortunately, there was rain both Friday and Saturday as well as cool weather, so attendance was down as well.  Sunday dawned with clear skies and comfortable temperatures, so those that stayed around enjoyed beautiful Florida sunshine.  Even with the rain, our Happy Hour gatherings continued under a large pavilion nearby.and we enjoyed several dinner outings with different groups.

The pictures below show the view we had from our front window.  Near the shore there were water lilies, but the little blobs further out are various water fowl.  It was an ever-changing picture as the ducks and birds fed and roosted, and the occasional boater came into view.  We definitely had one of the more scenic camping spots!

By Monday morning, there were only a few of our group left on the grounds.  We pulled out about 11 A.M. to make the 26 mile drive west to Clermont, FL and Bee's RV Resort.  This large campground is another of our membership parks with very inexpensive rates.  Raleigh friends are also staying here so we'll enjoy some visiting with them.  No other big plans are on the agenda as of now, other than computer work for Hank and lots of relaxation for both of us.  We'll be here until Tuesday, February 18.

ORLANDO, FL: Central Florida Fairgrounds

Yesterday, we left Thonotassasa, FL at 10:20 A.M., had a quick fuel fill-up, and headed for Orlando about 70 miles up I-4.  We arrived at the Central Florida Fairgrounds to find a lot of our fellow campers already checked in and ready to greet us with hugs and handshakes.  We are here for Hamcation, one of the larger hamfests east of the Mississippi.  We are grouped with other members of the WBCCI Amatuer Radio Club (you do not have to own an Airstream RV to be a member of the radio club), and will enjoy activities with them as well as hamfest events.





The picture above is not hamfest-related, but gives you an idea of the large grounds.  We are parked in the back left section in a lakefront spot.   The left side of the grounds will provide parking for many more RV's as well as part of the huge tailgate sales section.

The hamfest doesn't start until Friday afternoon, but  at last night's club happy hour, there were already over 50 people in attendance.  Today, we're scheduled to have a lunch pot luck, but with rain in the forecast, that event may have to be rescheduled.  Our gatherings are outside events so we hope for dry weather.

We will be here until Monday morning.

THONOTOSASSA, FL: Just Hangin' Around

The past few days are sort of a blur because we haven't felt up to doing much.  We both came down with a cough and cold so there's nothing newsworthy to write about.  We're both feeling much better now.

If you're wondering about this strange sounding location we're in, here's some facts lifted from the Wikipedia website:

The name Thonotosassa comes from the Seminole-Creek words thlonto and sasse, meaning the place was a source of valuable flint. Following the establishment of Fort Brooke in 1824 in what is now Tampa, a road that ran northwest of Lake Thonotosassa was built between Fort Brooke and Fort King in Ocala. Nevertheless, the presence of a Seminole village largely discouraged whites from moving into the area. After the Second Seminole War ended in 1842, whites began to settle.


We haven't seen any Indians, but there are a lot of RV's in Happy Traveler RV Park, which has over 200 sites.  Snow bird season is in full swing in Florida, so many campgrounds are near capacity.  Tomorrow, we hope to meet up with 4 of our NC camping club members who are staying just down the road.  The weather here is nice and warm, and we feel for those of you whose weather conditions are more wintry.