Our stay at the Old Town Campground has been very enjoyable. The weather has been cool, with one night of downpours, but overall not too bad. On the recommendation of the campground owner, we had lunch at the Lighthouse Restaurant in neighboring Fanning Springs and dinner at Hobo's in Trenton. Both were well worth a visit. As usual, we've met some interesting people in the campground, and we've gotten some chores done.
Today we're moving 163 miles north to Three Rivers State Park on the southern shore of Lake Seminole near Sneads, FL. There's a high possibility of rain this morning, so yesterday Hank got most of the outside departure chores done as well as hooking up the HHR to Little House. It won't take us long today to be on the road again.
Our life on the highways and byways of America.
Saturday, February 28, 2015
Wednesday, February 25, 2015
OLD TOWN, FL: Time to Relax
Monday, we left Bee's RV Resort at 11 A.M. and traveled non-interstate roads for 2 1/2 hours to Old Town Campground 'N Retreat in Old Town, FL., a 50+ Passport America park about 2 miles off of Hwy. 19.. This 44-site park is partially wooded with paved roads and hard sand sites. The owner is very cordial and likes to share information about the surrounding area. While this not a luxury park, it's peaceful with good hookups, free cable TV, and free fast WiFi at each site.
Yesterday (Tuesday), we did a little exploring, found an inexpensive Chinese buffet for lunch, and visited the CVS and Walmart in Chiefland, about 9 miles south.
We'll be here until Saturday. The weather forecast is for occasional rain the next two days with highs in the 60;s and lows in the 50'.
Yesterday (Tuesday), we did a little exploring, found an inexpensive Chinese buffet for lunch, and visited the CVS and Walmart in Chiefland, about 9 miles south.
We'll be here until Saturday. The weather forecast is for occasional rain the next two days with highs in the 60;s and lows in the 50'.
Monday, February 23, 2015
CLERMONT, FL: Time to Move On
We arrived at Bee's RV Resort on Monday. We've enjoyed times with Tom & Carol, who are in this park, and Kat & Fred, who are in the park across the highway. Our activities have included:
Enjoying the all-you can eat dinners at Bee's with chicken on Tuesday, and fish on Friday:
Meeting up with Dave & Charlotte (ham radio friends) in Lake Louisa State Park 10 miles south of us, then sharing lunch at Uncle Kenny's BBQ in Clermont.
Traveling up and down Hwy. 27 on various errands;
Touring the area around Lake Minneola;
Enjoying the sunny weather while making it through some of the coldest temperatures for this area in many years;
As we left the Orlando area on Monday via very busy Hwy. 50, two cars tooted at us and pointed to the rear - not the greeting that any RVer wants to get. Hank found a spot to pull off the roadway, and we found out that a pin had come out of the Blue Ox hitch allowing one of the two arms to disconnect from the car. The hitch is rated at 10,000 lbs towing capacity and our HHR weighs in at about 3,500 lbs so the remaining arm had easily stayed attached. It took a bit of jostling the car around to get it into a position where the hitch could be disconnected from the car in order for Selene to drive the car the remaining half hour to Clermont and Bee's RV Resort. When we took a closer look at the hitch we found that the end of the arm that had remained attached had been slightly bent (about 10 degrees) so Wednesday, we took the hitch to Camping Connection in Kissimmee for an evaluation on repairs and/or reconditioning. The hitch was well used when we got it free with our Tahoe in 2012 and it was really showing it's age. Considering the price of parts to repair and refurbish the unit we decided to purchase a new Blue OX hitch, and while we were there we picked up a few other minor items we needed. The back of our coach looks a lot nicer now with the bright new black and chrome hitch instead of the old rusty one with peeling paint :-)
Friday, Tom and Hank worked on Fred's TV setup to try to find out why it wasn't working - which turned out to be a simple problem - before the owner sold the coach to Fred, he replaced the TV with an old analog unit. So we all took time to go to Oven Fired Pizza for lunch, and then went shopping for a new TV for Kat and Fred. Tom and Hank successfully got everything working after mounting the new TV.
Saturday, the weather finally warmed up to near normal temps which we're all enjoying.
Sunday, the temperatures were warm enough that we needed to turn on the AC. Tom & Carol, and Kat & Fred joined us for dinner at Chili's. The restaurant was very busy so service was slow, but that gave us lots of time for conversation and laughter.
Today we're leaving Clermont and heading to Old Town, FL, about 2 hours away.
Enjoying the all-you can eat dinners at Bee's with chicken on Tuesday, and fish on Friday:
Meeting up with Dave & Charlotte (ham radio friends) in Lake Louisa State Park 10 miles south of us, then sharing lunch at Uncle Kenny's BBQ in Clermont.
Traveling up and down Hwy. 27 on various errands;
Touring the area around Lake Minneola;
Enjoying the sunny weather while making it through some of the coldest temperatures for this area in many years;
As we left the Orlando area on Monday via very busy Hwy. 50, two cars tooted at us and pointed to the rear - not the greeting that any RVer wants to get. Hank found a spot to pull off the roadway, and we found out that a pin had come out of the Blue Ox hitch allowing one of the two arms to disconnect from the car. The hitch is rated at 10,000 lbs towing capacity and our HHR weighs in at about 3,500 lbs so the remaining arm had easily stayed attached. It took a bit of jostling the car around to get it into a position where the hitch could be disconnected from the car in order for Selene to drive the car the remaining half hour to Clermont and Bee's RV Resort. When we took a closer look at the hitch we found that the end of the arm that had remained attached had been slightly bent (about 10 degrees) so Wednesday, we took the hitch to Camping Connection in Kissimmee for an evaluation on repairs and/or reconditioning. The hitch was well used when we got it free with our Tahoe in 2012 and it was really showing it's age. Considering the price of parts to repair and refurbish the unit we decided to purchase a new Blue OX hitch, and while we were there we picked up a few other minor items we needed. The back of our coach looks a lot nicer now with the bright new black and chrome hitch instead of the old rusty one with peeling paint :-)
Friday, Tom and Hank worked on Fred's TV setup to try to find out why it wasn't working - which turned out to be a simple problem - before the owner sold the coach to Fred, he replaced the TV with an old analog unit. So we all took time to go to Oven Fired Pizza for lunch, and then went shopping for a new TV for Kat and Fred. Tom and Hank successfully got everything working after mounting the new TV.
Saturday, the weather finally warmed up to near normal temps which we're all enjoying.
Sunday, the temperatures were warm enough that we needed to turn on the AC. Tom & Carol, and Kat & Fred joined us for dinner at Chili's. The restaurant was very busy so service was slow, but that gave us lots of time for conversation and laughter.
Today we're leaving Clermont and heading to Old Town, FL, about 2 hours away.
Monday, February 16, 2015
ORLANDO, FL: Hamcation 2015 is History
The past few days have been filled with greetings, conversations, happy hours, a pot luck lunch with 60+ people and a couple of dinners out. In between all of that, we spent some time walking around the hamfest although we didn't have any big purchases in mind. The weather has been cooler than normal with very breezy conditions, but the daily sunshine gave us some warmth. We were lucky to get a camping spot right on the lakes that borders the fairgrounds. These pictures show the view out our front windows. Unfortunately, we didn't get any good waterfowl shots, but there was always a lot of bird action going on..
The sunny weather was great for our daily Happy Hour gatherings. The parent club for this group is one for Airstream owners but the related ham radio club does not require Airstream ownership to be a member. We speak with many of these people on our ham radio almost every day, as we keep track of each other's location, weather, and what's happening in their lives.
Yesterday afternoon (Sunday) we drove to Cracker Barrel in Davenport, Fl and had supper with Jim & Dee ( we visited them two weeks ago) and Gary, a Raleigh friend. After dinner, we visited on the restaurant's front porch for another hour until sunset resulted in cooler temperatures and we said our good-byes.
Today, we left the fairgrounds about 11:00 A.M. for the 45 mile drive to Bee's RV Resort in nearby Clermont, Fl. This large park is part of the Coast to Coast network, so our cost is only $10 per night for full hookups. The campsites are very close together so care is needed when parking. Our assigned site only had a 30 amp connection, so were able to move to the "overflow" area for 50 amp service. This spot is not as scenic, but there is more room to maneuver and we're now parked close to our Raleigh friends, Carole and Tom, who also come here every year.
We'll be here for a week. The weather was very warm today, but after rain moves through by Wednesday morning, record lows may be in store for the end of the week. At least the precipitation will be liquid and temperatures will be much warmer than it will be in Alabama and North Carolina!
The sunny weather was great for our daily Happy Hour gatherings. The parent club for this group is one for Airstream owners but the related ham radio club does not require Airstream ownership to be a member. We speak with many of these people on our ham radio almost every day, as we keep track of each other's location, weather, and what's happening in their lives.
Yesterday afternoon (Sunday) we drove to Cracker Barrel in Davenport, Fl and had supper with Jim & Dee ( we visited them two weeks ago) and Gary, a Raleigh friend. After dinner, we visited on the restaurant's front porch for another hour until sunset resulted in cooler temperatures and we said our good-byes.
Today, we left the fairgrounds about 11:00 A.M. for the 45 mile drive to Bee's RV Resort in nearby Clermont, Fl. This large park is part of the Coast to Coast network, so our cost is only $10 per night for full hookups. The campsites are very close together so care is needed when parking. Our assigned site only had a 30 amp connection, so were able to move to the "overflow" area for 50 amp service. This spot is not as scenic, but there is more room to maneuver and we're now parked close to our Raleigh friends, Carole and Tom, who also come here every year.
We'll be here for a week. The weather was very warm today, but after rain moves through by Wednesday morning, record lows may be in store for the end of the week. At least the precipitation will be liquid and temperatures will be much warmer than it will be in Alabama and North Carolina!
Wednesday, February 11, 2015
ORLANDO, FL: Hamfest Season Begins
Our time in Bushnell was very relaxed with no pre-arranged schedule
to follow. We spent time with our ham radio friends, Lois & Herb,
and Debbie and Jim, and met several other hams as well as other campers.
Other than outings for normal shopping and a couple of dinners out, it
was just normal everyday life for us. Before leaving the campground, we
put Little House on the Smart Weigh
scales at the campground to see if she needed to trim down. Overall,
we're under our Gross Vehicle Weight Rating. Our driver-side rear weight
is a little high, so we'll need to rearrange some items in the bay to
bring that figure down. Our towed HHR is well under our towing limits.
All in all, the final tally was pretty good.
We left Sumter Oaks at 9:25 A.M. for the 80 minute drive to the Central Florida Fairground and Expo Park in Orlando, FL where the 2015 Hamcation will be held. This large ham radio event drew over 12,000 people last year, under rainy conditions. With sunny, but cool weather in the forecast, attendance should be even higher this year.
I hope to have some pictures and more information to share tomorrow. Today started early so bedtime will probably come sooner than usual!
We left Sumter Oaks at 9:25 A.M. for the 80 minute drive to the Central Florida Fairground and Expo Park in Orlando, FL where the 2015 Hamcation will be held. This large ham radio event drew over 12,000 people last year, under rainy conditions. With sunny, but cool weather in the forecast, attendance should be even higher this year.
I hope to have some pictures and more information to share tomorrow. Today started early so bedtime will probably come sooner than usual!
Thursday, February 5, 2015
BUSHNELL, FL: Friends and Familiarity
Wednesday, we made the 2 1/2 hour trip from Avon Park to Bushnell on very busy US 27, then west on US 50 before taking county roads to Sumter Oaks RV Park. We stayed here in February of 2012 and not much has changed. Folks are as friendly as ever, the sites are still very close together, but hookups are good and the location is quiet most of the time. There's a variety of activities everyday, and Hank will be spending time at the pool table. On the edge of the park is a marshy area, and it's not unusual to see a variety of water fowl on the property, including the large sand hill cranes.
Last night it rained all night, but the sun is shining brightly this afternoon. Daytime temperatures will be in the 60's for the next few days, but that's a lot better than what our northern neighbors are enduring.
We knew that ham radio friends Herb and Lois were already here, but there are also other hams here including friends Jim & Debbie. All of us will be going to Orlando next week for Hamcation - a very large ham radio event. In the meantime, we'll take time to relax, do some chores, and meet some more interesting people.
Last night it rained all night, but the sun is shining brightly this afternoon. Daytime temperatures will be in the 60's for the next few days, but that's a lot better than what our northern neighbors are enduring.
We knew that ham radio friends Herb and Lois were already here, but there are also other hams here including friends Jim & Debbie. All of us will be going to Orlando next week for Hamcation - a very large ham radio event. In the meantime, we'll take time to relax, do some chores, and meet some more interesting people.
Wednesday, February 4, 2015
AVON PARK, FL: Moving Day
We've enjoyed our stay at Adelaide Shores in Avon Park, FL. Our friends, Dee & Jim, spend the winter here, and it's always great to meet up with old friends.
Saturday, we made a day trip to Naples, FL where Hank's cousin Mary and her husband Jan spend the winter. Mary's sister, Ginny, came to visit from her home in eastern Florida.
Today we're moving to Bushnell, FL where we'll stay for a week.
Saturday, we made a day trip to Naples, FL where Hank's cousin Mary and her husband Jan spend the winter. Mary's sister, Ginny, came to visit from her home in eastern Florida.
Today we're moving to Bushnell, FL where we'll stay for a week.
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