DAY #56
The last full day at Gilchrist Blue Springs State Park, Florida. The rain has stopped and the clouds have begun to break up. Temperature in the mid 60s (which is nice), but a lot of humidity.
Time to reflect on the time spent here. Overall, it’s been a really nice place to stay. The park is natural and somewhat primitive (maybe a little too much, e.g. the road), the spring is simply amazing, and it provided (for me) a package of tranquility wrapped in a blanket of wilderness, I like this park. I should make clear, I like the park on the weekdays, but not so much on the weekend when it fills with campers. The camping area for trailers/coaches is small both in the number of sites and the sites themselves (as pointed out earlier). This can make for a very congested, noisy, and not at all, mellow experience. For me it’s the antithesis to what camping should be. I’m not sure if TV and Cell Service are considered a standard in camping, but both were poor in the park, which resulted in a bit of a inconvenience. Bathroom and showers were acceptable.
I’ve enjoyed exploring the area around the park. It’s a rural area and as such, it’s quiet. Getting a vibe like I’m entering an area of transition. It feels like Leaving the South and entering into Florida (state of mind). Some of the changes I’m seeing include, the style of homes, and the number of churches (still there but not in the numbers like in Mississippi & Alabama). I still see displays for boiled peanuts in the convenience stores, so the transition isn’t yet complete.
Didn’t do much today. When you don’t get up until 2:00 pm and the sun sets at 5:30 pm, that doesn’t give you time to do much of anything. Couldn’t get to sleep until 5:00 this morning and then woke up at 8:00 am. In my sleep induced haze, I set the alarm for 10:00 am, and well, we know how that goes (not so great). Seems like bad habits die hard. damn it, I have to do better.
It’s been a solid ten days, and I’m thankful for having had them. Now it’s on to the next stop in the journey, I’m looking forward to it.
The Journey. 