The Journey.

DAY #89

Time to leave Colt Creek State Park, and it’s been too short of a stay. Unfortunately, when I reserved the site, I could do so for only four days. Too bad, I would’ve liked to have stayed longer. There’s a lot of things to see and do in the area (none of which I did), and Tampa was just down the road. Reluctantly, I locked down, hooked up, screwed my head on straight, and headed down the road, next stop, Myakka State Forest in Englewood, FL.

I had some trepidation’s about the next stop. The State Forest site that I booked doesn’t have electric or water hookups, plus no flushing toilets/showers. It’s what’s called a “primitive campsite.” When I was planning the journey, the State Forest site was all I could find available that fit the time and place I wanted to be. I can make do without running water, but I’ve grown accustomed to the finer things in trailer living, like electricity and flushing toilets. Now the trailer has the capacity to hold 40 gallons of water to use for drinking, Showering, etc, and there is a tank for waste. The problem in that is I’ve been a little slow in sanitizing the water tank which they recommend before use. I’ve had the time and opportunity to get it sanitized, it’s not a difficult process. It’s like with the city water hookup and hot water heater, I don’t know why I drag my feet, why I’m so hesitant to getting it done. Maybe two weeks without, will leave the impression on me I desperately need.

Because of the lack of amenities at the State Forest, I had decided to take a short detour along the way and stop at Myakka State Park (not forest) to check on any possible walk-in sites available.
When I set out for the State Park, I set it up on google maps, and put my faith in it to steer me along the right course. Usually it does the job just fine but today, it messed up. I faithfully followed the directions given and arrived at the State Park. The only problem was, it was the north gate and that gate is only open weekends and holidays. I had to back up the trailer in a tiny spot (not fun), and wing it on my own to find where I thought would be the south gate. After a bit of a detour, I found the south gate and ranger station. This is the second time google has given me bum directions to a park.
Checked at the Ranger Station, and bummer, no sites available, it was off to the deep primitive woods for this kid for the next two weeks.

The drive was longer this trip but still not too bad, only 175 miles. I think I took every kind of road on this segment. Started on dirt, then county roads (my favorite), state highways, U.S. highways, and finally Interstate. The weather was stunning, the views scenic, and the roads were good, which made the drive a quite enjoyable one.

Made it to the State Forest, Drove a mile down the dirt road to the Administration building and checked in.

The campsite was another 1/3 mile and I was somewhat surprised by its entrance. You have to open/close the gate every time you use it. There’s a lock that you get the code from at the Admin. building.

After driving into the campground my first thought was…rustic?

There’s ten sites in this campground, of which 1/2 are tent only. I drove down to the road (path) and found site #3, home for the next two weeks. I wasn’t sure at first if I could back the trailer into the site, it was definitely a challenge.

Once in, it was a very nice site, very nice.

Got the generator out of the truck bed and started it up. It started without hassle (thank you!). It’s a little louder than I thought it would be, but seems to be working.

My thoughts on the new home for the next two weeks, it’s rustic, big time!

DAY #88

Last full day at Colt Creek State Park. I’m finding that three days isn’t long enough at a stop, at least for me. I’m just getting revved up to get out and about and pow, it’s time to hit the road again. I think my laid back pace might have gotten tuned down a little too far. I need to turn it up and be more active next stop.

I did go into Dade City and do laundry. The laundromat was old and dingy. From its water stained, rotting drop down ceiling, to its faded linoleum floors. The washers and dryers were past their prime about ten years ago. The owner, who I got change from, looked about as vibrant and healthy as his business. In the end, I didn’t have to jockey for a washer or dryer and the clothes did appear to be clean.

Coming back from doing the laundry, I perused the park. The spread used to be owned by two brothers who raised cattle and cut timber on the land. They also did some mining for limestone resulting in a couple of large pits which today look amazingly natural, not man made.

Lets take a drive down the park roads.

DAY #87

Got up this morning and made a bad mistake, I turned the TV on. One 1/2 hour sitcom, turned into a one hour court TV show, followed by another, and then a movie hadn’t seen in ages. Next thing I know, its 4:00 pm and with sunset at 6:00 pm, no time to do anything.

Just a nice do nothing day, and a really nice place to do it (nothing)

DAY #86

The only thing accomplished today, was to go into Lakeland to get a light bulb to replace the one under the hood vent in the trailer, it had burned out. I did take the long way there and back, just to get a feel of the area.

Ugh, as you leave the tranquility of the park and the connected Green Swamp Wildlife Management Area (which is a big area), you transition into exurbia-Lakeland style. Not fun driving down these corridors of commerce when compared to the back roads of the park.

Went back to the trailer and replaced the bulb. Yea, it worked. Even something as tiny as changing a bulb feels good when it works.

DAY #85

The next stop on the journey was only 47 miles away, and with a 1:00 pm checkout, I decided to make it a “late start” kind of day. I seem to have quite a few of these and you know what, I like them.

Bidding Lake Griffin State Park a fond farewell, I put the truck in gear, locked in the coordinates, and away I went. It was a nice drive, tree lined and rural most of the way. One thing that continues to “pull my chain” is all the garbage you see on the sides of the roads. Made it to Colt Creek State Park and after checking in at the ranger station, off I went to find the campsite.

The drive to the campsite was about a mile from the entrance, with most of the way being on paved roads, it was only the last 1/4 mile where the pavement ends and the dirt (sand) begins.

This is Florida’s newest State Park and what I saw on the drive in, I liked.

I found my site, pulled in, and setup. All in all, a really nice arrangement. I like that I didn’t have to back-in, and that the site was level.

Lots of TV stations coming in which I have to admit, I like, and the Verizon signal, is OK for surfing, but not much else (e.g. uploading). I’m amazed at how much data I’ve used in the past month. Its like twice as much as I normally used in Osakis. I wonder, is there a difference between Cell Data & DSL?

Only here for the next three days, I’m thinking the times going to go quick.

DAY #84

Last full day at Lake Griffin State Park. I really slept well last night, so well in fact, I didn’t get up until close to noon. Must’ve been the physical exercise of being in the water 2+ hours with the Manatees yesterday.

The time here has been a good one. The campgound provided for a comfortable secluded site, along with nice amenities. It served as a good base for exploring the area. I really enjoyed this island, not so much the desert surrounding it. I’m finding, that I’m a country boy, I just don’t like the city. Does saying this after a lifetime of city living make me a hypocrite? No, I don’t think so, I’ve always been drawn towards rural living, and now that I’ve been given the chance, let’s just say, I’ve not been disappointed.

Even including “The Villages” and the endless strip malls and fast food outlets, the area has charm. From the pastures and forests, to the “Old Florida” styled homes and downtowns that still excist. It is an enjoyable place to hang out.

The weather continues to be almost a non-factor. Its just so nice, that you start to take it as normal, and when you do, you don’t think about it anymore.

Took a leisurely late afternoon drive, saying so long for now to this slice of Florida.

DAY #83

Today promised to be a big day. I had rescheduled my swim with the Manatees to 10:00 am and this time, I was determined to make it.

Looking out the trailer window, the morning looked promising. The sun was shining, the sky was blue, and the winds were light. Got up, dressed, and headed out the door, yeow, the temperature was only 46 degrees out. I knew it was going to be cold but still. I guess the space heater being on overnight had lulled me into thinking otherwise. The cold had me a little worried. The water temp would be 72 degrees which is OK, but the air temp when getting out of the water could make for one bone chilling experience, something I could live without.

Made it to Crystal Falls in plenty of time. Got the chance to take a couple laps around town. You can still find “Old Florida” in the town proper. It’s a style that I like the more I see, and I really appreciate that some of it remains to still be seen.

The temp was warming up and looked like it would be in the mid 50s, still cold enough to concern me. I found the place, checked in, put on my govt issued wet-suit, and then watched a video about the dos & don’t when swimming around the manatees. After that, it was off to the van, which took us to the boat.

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The boat took us to a place in the bay known to have manatee’s, and we weren’t disappointed.
Into the water we went, and while it was cool, it wasn’t that bad. The water was murky which was somewhat of a bummer sight wise, but you could still see the shapes of them in the water and more so, once in the water, you could feel them when moving your arms around to keep above water. You’re not supposed to touch them, only let them touch you, but given the murkiness of the water and having to move my arms around to keep my head above water, it was hard not to do.

DAY #82

After spending the last two days commuting to and from the Crystal Springs, and Ozello area, I decided to just hang out around the trailer today.

The big activity of the day was to travel over to the regional “The Villages” and check out the local Publix (groceries) and Walgreen’s. As I’ve made known my less than gaga feelings about the concept/construction of developments like “The Villages,” I do have to admit, I like the stores around these places. They seem to be of a notch higher, both in physical appearance and goods & services offered. Driving around, I was once again amazed by the number of golf carts, I’m thinking, if you live in one of these developments and want to be cool, you gotta have a cart. They’re like second cars.

Other than that, the rest of the day was spent vegetating at the trailer (and feeling OK about doing it).

DAY #81

Made it to Ozello, FL, around 11:45 am on Wednesday, 8 January, and was psyched out to do the air-boat trip. I did an air-boat on Lake Panasoffkee and enjoyed it, and this one promised to be just as enjoyable. Going from the campground to the marina takes a little over an hour and brings you through predominantly developed landscape, including another community of “The Villages.”

Once past them, the land turns to fields, trees, and pastures, and about the time you start relaxing.

BAM! your going through a couple of smaller cities along with their sprawl, so it’s not a lot of rural. As you get closer to the gulf, the land begins to change to water/wetland, and nature once again takes over.

For me, going through the development of “The Villages” and the hustle & bustle of the cities, to the naturalness of the Gulf, I could feel a weight come off me. I felt at peace, I felt comfortable, I felt happy.

Trip #1

This air-boat trip lasted for an hour and took us out into the backwaters of the gulf. While I enjoyed the adventurousness of the air-boat, I got a bigger kick being out on the waters leading to the gulf. We began by trolling down some man made canals bringing us into the waters of the Saint Martins and Salt Rivers. From there we zig-zaged around a bit, and then headed over the water towards the gulf. It was low tide and the water was no more than four feet at its deepest. We basically did a 22 mile loop of the area and then back to the marina. It was an enjoyable way to see the area that you can only see by boat. Saw lots of birds and some mullets (fish) jumping out of the water (man, they could jump).

Afterwards, I explored the area around Ozello, and then back to the campsite, via the long way home. Driving around after the tour, I saw quite a few “For Sale” signs. I had a moment of yeah, that would be so cool to have a place down here, even a empty lot. But it’s not to be, found out flood insurance (which would be required if financing) can run from 10-30 thousand dollars a year!

Trip #2.

The next morning, Wednesday, 1/9/19, I headed back to within 1/2 mile of where I took the tour yesterday. This tour started off promising, the boat was brand new and shiny, had a big ole’ engine, and really put the other operators boat to shame. Interestingly, this “Captain” used to work for the people who own yesterdays tour. The tour today was going to be a 1 1/2 hour trip compared to yesterdays 1 hour.

We started off with the “Captain” skiming the boat through some sea grass, and then began to follow the river, taking us out toward the Gulf.

Old Florida at its finest.

Slowly, we made our way towards open water and the outer keys (islands).

Along the way the “Captain” stopped to show us sponges and coral. I must really be simple, because I found it cool to see.

We stopped at “Hangover Island” to look at some Australian Pines. Story has it that during the civil war, the confederates (who controlled the bay) would use these trees as landmarks for navigation when coming into the bay.

The needles are unlike other pines. Instead of one long needle, these are in small segments that you can pull apart one section at a time.

While walking on the island, the wind blowing through the pines sounded like rushing water, very unique sound.

Also stopped to show us mangroves and their root system.

Hands down, the second tour did circles around the first. It was so much more than just an Airboat ride. It was adventurous, it was educational, it was fun.

Made the drive back to camp. Must be getting used to the way, didn’t even need Google to get back.

A much better day.

DAY #80

Had made plans to go to Crystal Springs this morning and swim with the Manatees. Crystal Springs is a small town near the gulf and a little over an hour away from the campground. Getting there, brings you through another edition of “The Villages.”

I was supposed to be there at 7:00 am and the tour would last until 10:00. Trouble was, I was still awake at 5:00 am, not a good way to start the day. I thought, this isn’t going to work. I called to leave a message and their voice mail was filled. Undeterred, I sent them an email letting them know I wouldn’t be there.

Almost immediately I could feel a change in mood come over me. I felt angry and guilty. Once again, I had set myself up for failure. I plan something and then don’t follow through. I felt down, so much so I even had thoughts of just packing up and heading back to Osakis, end of journey.

My actions brought me to a dark place. I get so frustrated. I’ve probed inside my head long enough to have a fairly clear vision of who I am, including my faults, my failings, and its causes. What gets me so angry is I don’t change. I’m capable of change, I think I want to change. It’s like; I see the right path, and then veer to the wrong one, and I do this over and over again.

I am my harshest critic, and unfortunately, biggest enabler. I look at my life and in the dark corners of it, I see one pockmarked with under- performance, under-achievement, hell, I see too much failure. Now don’t get me wrong, I see the good things as well (just think how much of a head case I’d be not seeing them). I don’t know, I hate it that I continue to allow the ghosts in my life to hold such power over me. I hate it that I don’t put forth any real effort to break free of that hold.

Part of this journey, this trip, is to help find that light-bulb comes on in my head moment where I finally see the path. This failure took me back a step, and showed me I’m not there yet. It reinforces that I need to confront my fears, rather than just step back into the shadows and hide from them. It reminds me that it will change only when I put in the effort to change it.

OK cowboy, You’ve fallen off the horse, now it’s time to get back on. The road ahead is waiting.

The second activity I had booked was a one hour air-boat tour. The tour took you around the mangroves, salt grass, and outer keys (islands) of the gulf. This tour was in Ozello (find that on your map), only about 25 minutes away from the Manatee swim. After getting a few hours sleep, I got up, put on my pants (big boy size) and headed out, making it to the air-boat location with time to spare.

I’m going to continue this to tomorrows blog because as it turns out, I had such a good time, I did it the next day (1/9/19), with a different operator.