The Journey.

DAY #79

I didn’t’ have anything planned and it was another courageous day (they never get old) out.

The park has a second trail, so feeling spry and energetic (for about three minutes), I put on my walking shoes and off to the trail I went.

This trail runs for 1.9 miles. It was a well marked, level and easy to walk trail, at least for part of the way. With all the needles from the pines carpeting the ground, it was really soft walking.

Not far into the walk the ground turned to water, and you continued the walk balancing on two 2 x 6 placed side by side, oh yea, a challenge.

After meeting the challenge, I continued to the end of the trail and began the walk back.

This park really is an oasis in a desert of development.

After walking the trail, I did another 1/2 mile walk down a spur to the lake and back. It was a different spur from the one the other day. After that, I walked back to the trailer, took off my shoes, and proceeded to recharge. Seriously, it was something I should (and need) to do, and it felt good doing it.

What did I do today? I took a walk in the park.

DAY #78

Decided that today was going to be one of leisure. Started it out by taking a leisurely walk along one of the parks trails. This was a short trail that ran for a 1/4 mile and then you crossed the road and went back on the trail for another 1/4 mile, bringing you to the second largest Oak Tree in Florida. Nice easygoing walk through the woods. It gave you a taste of what this area was like before development.

In a matter of seconds, you go from this.

To this.

From the Oak, I mosied (?) across the picnic area to the boat launch. This is a nice little park tucked away from the big bad world.

After the walk, went back to the trailer to recharge. Damn, all these TV stations I’m getting and I can’t get Fox or CBS, looks like no football playoffs for me. Having scratched that idea, I got in the truck and headed off to take a leisurely cruise checking out Fruitland Park, and Lake Griffin.

Meandering along, I came across these kiddos hanging out in a pasture. I stopped to take a photo of them and as I’m standing at the fence, they start to leisurely (OK, enough already) come towards me. Fun little moment.

Meandering through various neighborhoods I came across a small park with nice views of the lake. Lake Griffin is one of a number of lakes concentrated in this area. Griffin is one of the larger ones.

Driving around the neighborhoods I noticed a few things. The developments seem to be older (but nice), with the houses more modest in design and size, and with cement blocks being the building material of choice. Nestled among the older homes are some newer developments where the housing has graduated to the next step up the economic ladder.

I also saw a few trailer courts, the size and number the likes I hadn’t seen before on the trip. An old memory of Florida for me, is seniors moving down to Florida and living in trailer court communities. I think the new “Deeded” communities like what “The Villages” and “Del Webb” are building today is merely the next step (which began with the trailer courts) in the evolution of senior housing in Florida. We seem to be quick to discard the past for the new and flashy future. enjoy it while it’s here.

It’s back to the campsite by sunset, and to call it a day. It’s staying light longer which I’m liking, it’s more time to enjoy the day, especially if your day seems to start as late as mine does.

DAY #77

Woke up this morning and what a difference a day makes.

The sun was out, the humidity was gone, and with the wind having shifted to the Northwest, the temperature was 20 degrees colder than yesterday. Still, it was a beautiful day. Hey, I’m not going to complain about 65 degree weather, put on a heavier shirt and kapow, its a fantastic day!

Decided to hookup the water (didn’t do it yesterday in the rain) and check out the hot water heater. YES! So thankful that it works. Hot water, oh man, now I’m livin like them fancy city folks.

The State Park appears to be an island surrounded by a sea of development. We definitely are no longer in the sticks. Once you get into the park though, it’s a whole different world, in a good way. It has what’s becoming typical of Florida State Parks, sand roads within the campground. The sites themselves are on the small side and close together. But there’s also a lot of growth between sites and the overall feeling is one of seclusion, it’s a nice setup.

It’s interesting that the bathrooms & showers (which are nice) are locked and you need a code to get in. It seems (what I was told) that non campers (day-trippers) were using and leaving them in a mess. Ironic, here in these woods, you don’t need to be concerned with animals, its the humans you have to watch out for.

Took the long way to Publix to get some groceries. I like Publix, it’s becoming my go to place for groceries. After finishing up my business, drove back to camp where I proceeded to spent the rest of this glorious day inside. I must be getting spoiled. Actually today is kind of a transition day since yesterday was a washout.

I’m happy that there’s a strong Verizon signal, and a whole bunch of TV stations (more than half are religious). We must be fairly close to a road because at times, you can hear car noises.

So far, things are looking good.

DAY #76

The day started off well, I didn’t oversleep, and emptying the grey & black water tanks went without a hitch. Hit the road (relativity quiet) and made it to Camping World by 8:45 am.

They took the trailer into the shop a little after 9:00 am, and then the wait began, and a long wait it would be. Finally at 3:30 pm I was able to hook up the trailer and be on my way. It was OK, I needed to get it done and knew it would take time, but still, towards the end I was getting a little inpatient.

Part of what took so long is that I had the wheel bearings in the axle replaced. They say once a year or every 5000 miles, and I’ve put close to that on them so far in the journey. As far as the main reason I brought the trailer in, the hot water heater not working, it seems someone forget to take it out of by-pass, oops. I’d like to blame someone for that but no matter who I look at to blame, it comes back to me. Maybe this will be a lesson learned?

It was time to hit the road. As I’m beginning to hook up the trailer, it started to rain, and rain hard. During breaks in the intensity of the rain, I was able to get things hooked up and underway. Traffic was mega bad which only added to the fun of driving in a downpour. I kept my cool and Yee-haw, made it to the campground. Really glad it was only 30 minutes from Camping World.

Checked in and found my site (on the first try). Of course as I’m trying to back into the rather tight spot, there’s someone waiting to get by…Mega Arg!!!

In the end all turned out well and I was safe and sound in my new home for the next nine days.

DAY #75

It’s the last day at Ross Prairie State Park and the time here has been a good one. The park itself has provided a very quiet, comfortable, and convenient accommodation. Weather wise, it’s been the kind that people come down in winter to enjoy, its been great. I’ve enjoyed the area, even as it transitions from rural to exurban. I’ve enjoyed and appreciate the time given to explore around the area. Would I come back? Oh Yea.

The plan was to spend the day in and around Dunnellon, FL. First up was a cruise down the Withlacoochee & Rainbow River. Those two rivers come together in town and have the distinction of being very different bodies of water. The cruise was 1 1/2 hours and for $15.00, how could I go wrong? The scene was low key, and the vibe mello as we drifted away from the dock and into the flow of the river.

It wasn’t more than ten minutes up river when we came across this big ole’ Alligator just hangin out.

As we continued down the river, we were entertained by numerous bird and turtle sightings.

We meandered along until the river split up ahead. On the left was the waters of the Rainbow River and veering off to the right, continued the waters of the Withlacoochee (say that fast three times). Why no photo of the split? I’m thinking, I had a goof ball moment.

It was cool to see. The waters of the Rainbow River comes from a magnitude one spring (Rainbow Springs) located approx. 6 miles upstream. This spring pumps out of the aquifer over 600 million gallons a day. This meant the water was crystal clear and a constant 72 degrees. Looking into the water, you could easily see the bottom.

In contrast was the Withlacoochee River. Its origins and source of water feeding into it is the swamps along its path. the water tends to be warmer and because of the organics (tannic acid), the water is a dark tea color.

On a good day, when the two rivers come together (sunshine & no wind), you can see dramatically the difference between the two. It reminded me of the Amazon where there are two rivers coming together in much the same way. Unfortunately, this wasn’t that day, and seeing them come together wasn’t very pronounced. Alas, we still saw a hint of it and that was enough to elicit a few ohs and ahs out of us, even if not good enough to take a photo.

The pontoon drifted into shore while the guide sang us three songs that really tied in with the cruise. He also gave a very detailed and informative presentation which made a good time even better.

After the cruise it was time for lunch. I had noticed a restaurant by the river on my way into town and decided to stop there. Swampy’s Bar & Grill was the name, and you sat right on the bank of the Rainbow River (further upstream from the cruise), watching the kayaks going by. The food was good, the ambiance really cool, and I had a good time.

Next it was off to Rainbow Springs State Park. After going down the Rainbow River, I wanted to see the springs where it all starts. It was only ten minutes out of Dunnellon and I still had some daylight left, so off I went.

Dunnellon at one time was the ‘center of the earth’ as far as mining for the mineral phosphate. Hard to see but even after a hundred years, you can see remains of that time.

I think the spring at Gilchrist Blue Springs was superior to this one even though these springs dwarf the one at Blue Springs. Plus, I don’t get why they allow swimming right at the spring. If you want to see the spring, there’s all these people swimming and splashing around, I don’t get it.

Did some walking around the park (I hate walking uphill) and while it’s a nice park, it’s too developed and busy for my taste (call me a natural snob).

Drove back to the campground, took a shower, and began breaking things down for tomorrows departure.

Need to empty the black/grey water tanks before leaving and I haven’t down that before. It’s only water (this time), but I’ll need to give myself some time. Then, I need to be at Camping World by 9:00 am. so hopefully, can get out of there early. All this translate into a early start.

Hope I don’t oversleep.

DAY #74

On the second day of 2019, I out did myself, I did even less than yesterday. Hope this doesn’t become a trend.

I did take a ride that took in the exurbs, suburbs, and central metro of Ocala, FL. Since I had so much fun doing it, I took the same way back.
It was late in the afternoon before I hit the road and in both directions, traffic was heavy and it sucked. A couple highlights of the drive was seeing my first ‘Tesla’ charging station (for cars), and stopping at a Latin grocery store, which I didn’t know until going in.

My Rant For The Day:

For decades the standard of living for the middle class, has been stagnant at best. There are facts and figures that can establish and confirm this, it isn’t just opinion. Even with these facts, we’ve been able to continue to delude ourselves that that wasn’t the case, and of course the politicians did everything they could by way of ‘smoke and mirrors’ to reassure us life was good. But for me, there’s been a change, it’s become more than just the facts. I’m seeing signs across the land that are not just telling me, but showing me just how true it is.

I’m amazed at the number of ‘Dollar General’ and ‘Family Dollar’ stores I’m seeing. These stores are like a ‘canary in a coal mine’ only applied in reverse. They appear & thrive in areas of poverty and a lower standard of living, promising more for less. These stores are beginning to make Walmart look upscale. Pawn Shops and Check Cashing Places are becoming more the norm along the corridors of commerce, a change from a time when pawn shops were centered exclusively in low income urban areas. Retail strip malls and shopping centers/malls are replacing the stores of old (when wages & living standards were on the upswing) with more and more discount and low price stores. ‘Big Lots’ and ‘Savers’ have replaced ‘Dayton’s’ and ‘Dillards’ (I understand the effect online shopping has had).

Were no longer moving forward, no longer moving up. Instead, it seems we’ve adjusted and accepted the way it’s become, lowering our hopes and dreams, and expectations in the process.

The canary has stopped singing.

DAY #73

What super-terrific activities did I partake in on this first day of the new year? What ‘out of this world’ places did I explore? What road did the Journey take to begin 2019?

Sorry thrill seekers and action junkies, the answer is nothing, I did nothing on the first day of this new year. Well, that’s not entirely true. I did go later in the afternoon to the laundromat and washed my clothes, otherwise, I just stayed close to home for the day.

It was enjoyable to just sit around and watch life unfold around the campsite. The site is about 1/2 full but very quiet. I took out my recliner, set it up outside, and spent the time watching the squirrels and birds and my favorite, the little lizards as they went about their routines. The weather continues to be courageous, and I just wanted to sit back and take some time to really enjoy (and appreciate) it.

Travel Trailer Update: I was able to make an appointment at Camping World for Friday 1/4/19. When I leave here on Friday, Camping World is right on the route to the next campsite so if everything goes OK, I should have the hot water heater working when I get to the next site. Too good to be true? I guess time will tell (fingers crossed).

In a low key way, it was a nice start to the new year.

DAY #72

As I lay in bed slowly waking up to another beautiful Central Florida morning, I think about this being the last day of 2018, WOW! Then for no apparent reason, I started to think about News Year Eve, 2000, and how at one time, it seemed so far in the future. It was a lifetime away, a distant milestone, the twenty first century, and then one day, it was here. Looking back, its been eighteen years since that monumental date, and it too, has felt like a lifetime, and just like that, one day it was here.

Life really is precious and it goes by so quick. Every day is a new beginning, no matter how bad it looks. It’s a “do over,” a chance to rise from the ashes if we so choose. For too many of us (myself included), we tend to rush through life always focused on the next, never stopping to revel in the now, in the moment, I think that’s a new years resolution that I’m going to make for 2019.

My mood today called for a pilgrimage to a special place for me, to not go to the Ocean (Gulf) when so close would be sacrilegious. I set the destination course to Yankeetown, Florida, and away I went. Yankeetown is a small unassuming community at the edge of the gulf, about an hour’s drive Southwest of the campground. It is a welcome respite from the hustle and bustle that seems to have permeated so much of Florida.

Heading out, the land unfolded in pastures of cattle and horse stables, lots of stables. It’s more farm country than tree country, but still, a nice mix .

Saw this and had to turn back around to get a photo. I found it humorous in that it’s so generic. What kind of animals?

The Confederate flag still flies.

Getting closer to the water and you could see, and sense the change.

After paying my respects to the water, I headed back into the trees.

Returning back from the Gulf, I decided to take a detour and go off the grid. That meant veering off the pavement and onto the sand roads of Goethe State Forest.

I had Verizon while in the forest (isn’t that amazing), and I was using google to guide me through. At one point, I found the road had a closed fence across it (google didn’t tell me that), but there was another road that went to the right. I thought OK, the road must be the one to the right so I’ll stay on it. After going a ways I checked google to track my progress and surprise, I wasn’t on the road I thought I was on, and while google showed my position in the forest, it also showed I wasn’t on any road…oh oh.

I’m thinking, I need to turn around. The problem with that was the road was no wider than the truck and there were no shoulders, only drop offs on each side. I didn’t want to try it because I would only have one chance, and if I messed up, I would be stuck in the middle of nowhere. Not sure what to do, I kept driving on while frequently scanning google. It began to look like I was moving toward a road listed on the map so I kept going. I got to tell you I was concerned, but I stayed cool and eventually, I did get back on a mapped road and finally back on pavement. Even though it’s scary, I think driving on these kind of roads are the most fun (up until the time something happens).

The last stop of the day was in Dunnellon, Florida. I went down a quiet back road and came to these views of the river.

Made it back to camp and ended 2018 by listening to fireworks being shot off at midnight. They were coming from outside the park, sound must travel well out here.

DAY #71

Stayed around the trailer and campground this Sunday, geez, I didn’t go anywhere. It was almost too nice of a day. Sunny sky’s, mid 80s for temp, but with the humidity, it felt hot (I was feeling short tempered). Now I know that the “peeps” in the “Frozen North,” won’t be able to relate but trust me, it was hot.

I put new batteries in the LP sensors which were then placed on the bottom of the LP tank. To do so, involved taking the tanks off the trailer. While taking them off, I thought it a good time to do some maintenance and change out the tank that was 99% empty. I changed out the tank, cleaned, sanded the rust, and then painted the shelf where the tanks sit. After the paint dried, it was put everything back the way it was. Got that done and downloaded the app on my phone, and now the sensors are working…Yea!

I also decided to hook up the water line. I thought that after 71 days, it was time to connect and have water. Everything went well and thank you, thank you, thank you, no leaks in the trailer (so far). I didn’t have as much luck with the water heater. It would start but then shut off soon after. After doing some research via the internet (so nice to have), I’m questioning if it may be the board that’s bad. I’ll need to call Camping World tomorrow to try and set up a time for them to look at it. I leave here on Friday (1/4/19), and go right by CW on the way to the next stop. If everything falls into place, I should be able to get this looked at then…Boo!

I don’t like it when things don’t go exactly as I want them to, it tends to turn me into a stomping, screaming, look he’s having a temper tantrum, kind of fool. I did slip a bit today (few curses) over the water heater but overall, I was able to keep my perspective and I handled it like a semi-well adjusted adult.

I sure didn’t work too hard. Doing those couple of chores ended up taking most of the day. I did watch the football games on TV as well and I think I may have spent a lot more time doing that than anything else.

Bold prediction: The Vikings will not be going to the Super Bowl this year. Real disappointed in the team. This game like so many this year, seemed almost lackadaisical in effort. These guys underachieved this year big time and I’m asking myself, maybe the coaching staff is to blame?

What will tomorrow bring? Stay tuned.

DAY #70

Today’s activities included another trip to Camping World in Summerfield and then checking out the world of “The Villages” residential development.

As I was driving to Camping World, I received a phone call from the Verizon retailer in Chiefland, FL. That was were I went last Sunday after losing my phone. It seems that someone found my phone and turned it in. Now I had the option of driving back to Chiefland to pick up the phone, or not.

I don’t need another phone, I guess I could have retrieved it and then sold it, but that’s kind of a hassle when you’re on the road. I opted to not go back to get it. I was told they will erase everything on the phone, and then give it to a women’s shelter. I think that’s the best use for it.

Made it to Camping World. It took 35 minutes of driving to get a five minute answer but oh well, that’s the way it be. Now to see if I can get the water heater to work (fingers crossed).

The Villages are located a short distance away from Camping World and I thought, before I criticize, I should at least know of what I speak.

My first impression was man, this place goes on, and on, and on. It looks like the development is the sum total (and there’s a lot) of subdivisions that make up “The Villages,” with some retail thrown in around the edges to complete the picture.

Lets take a drive down one of the avenues and see what “The Villages” have to show us. Unfortunately, non residents can only go down the main thruways. Unless you are a homeowner or authorized guest, entry to the inner streets are restricted. there are gate houses at every entrance that are either manned, or require a code to gain entry.

It is an impressive place. The main streets are in excellent condition with center medians meticulously landscaped, including flowers blooming year round. There are places to play tennis, swim, and of course golf. Golf courses look to be an omni-present part of every “community.” I was amazed to see that there is even a polo grounds.

The photos really don’t do the development justice. While the phone takes decent photos, I prefer using the camera. That’s my excuse for the crummy pictures, and I’m sticking to it.

In some ways, “The Villages” represent what is best about America. For those who can afford the initial cost and monthly association dues, and are OK with the rules & regulations, it provides a safe, structured, and secure lifestyle wrapped in a modern, fresh, and stylish package. Here in “The Villages, the “American Dream” lives.

I can understand why people gravitate to this kind of living arrangement, I just hate that it comes at such a cost (in my opinion). 

Driving the rest of the way back, I just meandered around and took the way off the back roads. There looks to be a fair amount of large horse farms in the area. Not sure if raising thoroughbreds is that profitable? It’s not uncommon to see For Sale signs by the entrance gates.

A boring day in Central Florida? I’ll take it, any day.