JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2018 - FLORIDA TO TEXAS

FLORIDA

Monday, January 1, 2018 - Mayakka River State Park, FL, to Lake Manatee State Park, Bradenton, FL

No fireworks to mark the New Year last night as they are prohibited in State Parks, but I celebrated the moment with a glass of Makers Mark bourbon.

The forecast for this morning had been for overcast weather - thus no New Years sunrise photo opportunity - and for early showers, so no New Years morning run planned, not least because of a late and slightly boozy night...

Allowed myself the luxury of sleeping in a little - at least, once I had fallen back to sleep after being woken at 7:00am by an inconsiderate camper somewhere nearby running a generator.

In the event, there were a few patches of blue sky first thing, though no vistas to the east that would have allowed a sunrise photo. A light shower or two came through around 9:00am, so I could have snuck in a run...

Anyway... being kind to myself in the New Year, I thoroughly enjoyed a lay-in.

Out of the campground a little after 10:00am to drive the hour or so into St Petersburg in gray and damp weather, a blustery wind sweeping across the open expanse of water as I headed over the long causeway and bridge into town.

Parked close to the Dali Museum, walked a few blocks to Starbucks for a late morning coffee and call to the UK.

Then a slightly frustrating hour in the Dali Museum, rather predictably crowded on this holiday with visitors - including children and parents with buggies. And almost everyone had taken the audio guided equipment and so stood glued to the spot in front of the artwork listening to the narrative on their headsets, all making it rather difficult to get to fully enjoy the work on display.

However, I was reminded again (as was most strongly impressed upon me on my first visit here three years ago) what a technically accomplished painter Dali was, allowing him to express in such detail the challenging and provocative imagery of his imagination.

A few examples of double imagery and visual illusion canvases from that I managed to grab quick photos of without people standing gawping in front of them.

A quick bite of lunch in the Airstream before heading back out of town, a 45-minute drive to a secluded overnight spot in Lake Manatee State Park.

Tuesday, January 2, 2018 - Lake Manatee State Park, FL, to Highlands Hammock State Park, Sebring, FL

Very quiet overnight, with good seclusion in the campground sites.

Chilly and overcast morning, temps in the 40s but down to 30s with wind chill - experienced to the full on my morning run around the park roads. Quite refreshing once it's all over, of course...

Cold weather forecast to continue - gray and windy today, rain tomorrow and possible overnight freezing temperatures Thursday and Friday. With my new-found predilection for the peace and plugged-in comfort of state parks for overnight stays (versus Walmart parking lots), I spent some time over my mid-morning coffee working out a plan for the days ahead...

...which will have me heading back to the east coast of Florida and checking on the Lagoon catamaran recently delivered to Fort Lauderdale prior to the owner's first viewing on Friday. So a mid-way state park is booked for tonight (just outside Sebring) and a popular state park near Jupiter (which I've stayed in previously) booked for Wednesday and Thursday nights, taking the only remaining campsite available there.

My itinerary for the next few days settled, I headed out of the park just after 1:00pm, made a stop for a bite of lunch, a second stop for an expensive propane refill, a third stop for a new tire inflator (my current one having died), and then into Highland Hammock State Park just south of Sebring where I'm comfortably plugged in and should be able to sit out the rain forecast for tomorrow morning before getting back on the road to complete my trans-Florida drive to Jupiter.

Wednesday, January 3, 2018 - Sebring, FL, to Jonathan Dickinson State Park, Jupiter, FL

Another quiet night in a state campground, the forecast rain not arriving until daylight.

Spent most of the morning working on a little hard drive clean-up on the laptop, deleting some programs and continuing with review and removal of photos - emotionally easier to scrub some of these as they become a little older in time.

Rain hadn't quite stopped when it was time to break camp at the end of the morning, so got a little wet unhooking from city water and shorepower.

Wheels rolling out of the park at 1:00pm as the rain was easing. Roads still wet for a while until the stiff north wind dried them out, having the effect of washing off some dust but also adding some road spray.

This part of Florida has some vast open and flat spaces, most noticeable on my cross-country drives.

Interesting to read here and there information about how fairly recent climate changes - over the past few hundred hears - have alternately created prairie conditions suitable for cattle grazing and then sufficient rise in groundwater levels to create a lake with a ferry service.

Stopped in Okeechobee for a grocery top-up and a bite of lunch before heading on to the Jonathan Dickenson State Park campground just south of Hobe Sound - driving down some very familiar roads from the boat business days when I had inventory boats stored in Hobe Sound and Stuart.

Set up in the campsite in the River Campground, got the heat running inside the Airstream and brought out the bike for a quick ride down to the river to try to catch a sunset shot - without much success.

Thursday, January 4, 2018 - Jonathan Dickinson State Park, Jupiter, FL

Freeze warning for overnight last night, as the severe winter storm that has been dumping snow over the eastern two thirds of the US is now blowing arctic air down into Florida.

And it was indeed chilly when I headed out for a run along the scenic park cycling track winding through the scrub pine, the rising sun not adding much warmth, but the breeze only light first thing.

The car registered 38 degrees when I drove out at 9:30am to grab a quick coffee and breakfast sandwich on the way to meet Ted's brother John in Jupiter and collect dealer plates to put on the Lagoon catamaran in Fort Lauderdale, which I found sitting happily at the dock just as I had left it two weeks ago.

Ran the genset and engines on the boat, checked hour meters and fluid gauges, flushed through the heads, snugged up a couple of dock lines and headed back north, detouring to West Palm Beach for an early afternoon coffee and some WiFi time - another place with which I'm familiar from boating business days, having been to quite a number of boat shows there.

Back at the campground by 4:30pm, the Airstream relatively warm from the afternoon's sun, but the heater on to make it properly comfortable for the chilly evening and overnight ahead.

Friday, January 5, 2018 - Jonathan Dickinson State Park, FL, to Kissimmee Prairie Preserve State Park, Okeechobee, FL

Out early to cycle about a mile from the campground to a spot I had noticed on yesterday morning's run, where the sun would rise over a small, reedy pond - as indeed it did.

Crisp morning, with only a light breeze. No-one else around. Great way to see the start of a new day - both my sister Sue's birthday and my ex-business partner Ted's birthday (his 60th!).

One of the bathroom and laundry facilities for the campground was conveniently adjacent to my site, so I put on a load of laundry while doing a little route planning for the next few days - not venturing too far north yet, as the weather is forecast to be slow to warm up after the cold snap.

Laundry (and ironing!) done, brewed coffee, did a little photo clean-up, and headed out of the campground at 1:00pm, stopping in Stuart for a second coffee and an hour's WiFi time before continuing on to my overnight stop at Kissimmee Prairie Preserve State Park which, as its name suggests, is in the middle of an open, totally flat prairie, stretching away to the horizon on all sides.

The park is a significant distance away from any towns or cities and is a prime site for star-gazing, with the campground having several "astronomy sites" in a separate section specifically for people wanting unobstructed views of the night sky with no ambient light.

Cloud cover moving in late afternoon, however, suggests this may not be one of the best viewing nights.

Slow final drive in to the campground along several miles of shell rock road, originally an early railroad that ran north, dismantled when Henry Flagler built his train route on the east coast.

Small campsite, with only 20 sites. Way out in the wilderness.

Saturday, January 6, 2018 - Kissimmee Prairie Preserve State Park, Okeechobee, FL, to Wekiwa Springs State Park, Apopka, FL

Awake fairly late, sunrise acting as my alarm clock.

Out for a run on the arrow-straight shell rock entrance road of the park, rather a stiff breeze building towards the end of the run, a bobcat crossing over the road ahead of me, apparently unconcerned at my approach.

Mid-morning coffee before departure and the drive up to Orlando, stopping midway for a bite of lunch.

Wekiwa Springs State Park is on the northwestern outskirts of Orlando, close to Apopka - and midway between the commercial campground I stayed in and the storage facility I used before my last trip back to the UK. So I've pretty much closed the loop from when I got back to Florida three weeks ago.

Set up the Airstream at the campsite and drove back through the park to the actual spring after which the park is named, from which water can be seen very clearly surging up into the swimming area that has been created (look at the right side foreground of the picture). Apparently 42 million gallons of water a day flow out of the spring, forming the headwaters of the Wekiva River.

Treated myself to an ice-cream from the concession store, though the day quite chilly when not in the full sun and out of the wind.

Spring water very pleasantly warm to the touch, apparently staying 74 degrees year-round.

Drove to small Sand Lake at the opposite end of the park and walked around the lake, taking a few late day photos as the sun was sinking towards the tree-tops to the southwest.

Sunday, January 7, 2018 - Wekiwa Springs State Park, Apopka, FL

With a tall and dense pine tree horizon all around, no opportunity for sunrise photos, so I had breakfast before heading out for a morning walk around Sand Lake, where there were still a few pockets of cold air and frosty plants even at 8:30am.

Nothing particularly spectacular about the small lake or my walk around it, but very pleasant to be out in the stillness of the morning with no-one else around.

Back in the Airstream for a couple of hours of work continuing to clean out old photos - always a slightly tiring exercise, but rewarded with my much-anticipated morning coffee.

I then settled in for some extended TV time watching the two NFL playoff games.

Weather warming a little, though the forecast has another dip in temperatures in a week's time. Must do some route planning around this tomorrow morning...

Monday, January 8, 2018 - Wekiwa Springs State Park, Apopka, FL, to Apopka, FL

Cool morning, but not cold, for a slightly late run along the quiet park roads, not having woken until 7:30am. A couple of moderate slopes to deal with, unlike my last run on the absolutely flat roads of the prairie.

A little admin while enjoying my morning coffee, including a somewhat overdue laptop backup.

Weather forecast for warmer days ahead, but overcast and with the chance of rain. And then another shot of cold, though bright, weather next weekend - and, fairly inevitably, it's forecast to be colder further north in Florida where I'm supposed to be heading.

With this weather background, I spread out the Florida map and tried to figure out a plan. Nothing immediately obvious and with only an iPhone, and no Internet connection, trying to research places was frustrating. So, after some initial debate with myself...

...I decided to drive a few miles down the road to the commercial campground I had stayed in just before heading back to the UK at the end of November, where I would have an Internet connection to try to figure out a plan.

Out of the park at the 1:00pm deadline, stopped at a convenient Publix grocery store to stock up on the way to the commercial campground, where I was all set up in my site by 2:30pm, continuing with some laptop admin and clean-up, researching the weather forecast a little more closely, as well as some of my destination options.

Vague plan shaping up but final decisions deferred until I've slept on it.

Tuesday, January 9, 2018 - Apopka, FL

Early morning weather check shows it's raining in Ocala, 50 miles to the north, so thoughts of heading in that general direction to explore the Ocala National Forest somewhat dampened. Rain chance here 70%, with possible afternoon thunderstorms.

Decided to spend another day in the campground to duck the weather and take advantage of WiFi.

Must be getting soft in my old age...

Spent a couple of hours in the morning attempting some route planning, but rather challenged by the freezing overnight weather forecast for the weekend ahead, which is just when pretty much all the state park campgrounds to which I might retreat are fully booked.

So the tentative plan, on which I will ruminate during the day, is to head up to the Ocala National Forest tomorrow and see how things play out. There are a dozen campgrounds in the forest area, many for tents only but some seem to be first-come first-served campsites, so I might be able to find a spot or two to spend some time if I feel like it - though my irrepressible desire to keep moving might frustrate this.

Wednesday, January 10, 2018 - Apopka, FL, to Alexander Springs, Ocala National Forest, FL

Some rain overnight and some forecast for mid-morning, so I was considering myself fortunate to be able to get in a run between the showers... until I stepped out of the RV to find a gentle rain falling that hadn't been apparent from inside.

Not enough to deter me from heading out, though the heavier rain that came along during my run might have been. At least the rain, and the breeze, partly mitigated the fairly warm temperature and high humidity.

Balance of the morning before check-out taken up with laundry, coffee, continued research and planning, and some bill paying.

Then on the road heading to the Pittman Visitor Center to find out a little more about the Ocala National Forest and my options for exploring - only to find the Visitor Center closed, and looking like it was a permanent state of affairs and not temporary. State budget cuts, maybe?

Gleaned a little information from a notice board outside the Visitor Center, though not a great deal more than my on-line research had turned up, and drove on the 7 miles to Alexander Springs campground, a very quiet spot, with no hook-ups.

Got the bike out and cycled down to the springs (70 million gallons of water a day being pumped out) but I wasn't tempted to join the few swimmers, and even a couple of scuba divers, as the weather has continued overcast, though not particularly cold.

Took a stroll around the slightly dilapidated boardwalk around the spring, taking pictures of palm fronds.

I seem to be fascinated by the splaying pattern of the fronds, with the paler green color at their base making them appear to be partially illuminated.A little like my unexplained fascination with fields of corn...

Very few people around, though there seemed to be a reasonable number of RVs in the campsites.

So my main company on the walk was the odd bright cardinal, standing out clearly against the green of the palm leaves, and a less obvious baby alligator sitting motionless on a fallen tree branch and getting some warming sunshine, though he didn't like my sneaking up on him for a picture and promptly took a dive.

As the campground is far enough out in the forest to receive no over-the-air TV and has no cell service, it's a quiet evening in prospect in the RV.

Thursday, January 11, 2018 - Alexander Springs to Juniper Springs, Ocala National Forest, FL

Quiet and somewhat dark under the canopy of the forest and cloudy skies, so slept late.

An hour of overdue but tedious in-box cleaning and filing rewarded by a break to continue reading the authoritative Civil War book - now half-way into the book, the conflict itself is under way. A phrase describing of one of the Union commanders, Fremont in Missouri, would feel damning if on my headstone: "He was showy rather than solid".

Late morning coffee then a short drive to our next stop, Juniper Springs, another of the major springs in this part of Florida, with the added feature of a watermill - not the kind of thing you would expect to see in Florida.

Originally built by the CCC (Civilian Conservation Corps, set up by President Roosevelt during the Great Depression of the 1930s to reduce youth unemployment, aid conservation efforts and add to US infrastructure) when constructing the retaining structure around Juniper Springs, and was used to generate electricity for their camp.

Took a stroll through some of the trails near the spring which, along with other spring sources in the area, feeds the small Alexander Run (stream) down which you can canoe for 5 miles before it empties into the St Johns River.

In another nearby spring, Fern Hammock Springs, the "sand boils" through which some of the spring water flows were clearly visible in the clear patches where bottom vegetation had been unable to grow due to the turbulence.

All very peaceful, other than periodic distant booms from ordinance being dropped at the Pinecastle Bombing Range - 40,000 acres of forest originally requisitioned as a WWII bombing range with 5,000 acres retained after the war and now the Navy's only live bomb target practice site on the east coast.

A little afternoon brightness arrived just in time for me to take a dip in the 72-degree spring water - entering gingerly down the steps beside the watermill, initially feeling a little chilly but perfectly pleasant once in.

A late bite of lunch, a drive a few miles down the road to pick up a cell signal to deal with some e-mails, a late afternoon stroll back to the spring area and then settled in for another quiet evening.

Friday, January 12, 2018 - Juniper Springs to Salt Springs, Ocala National Forest, FL

Rather busy, dream-filled night for some reason.

Maybe a contributory factor in a slight feeling of lethargy before my run, which felt strenuous despite consciously keeping my pace in check, which my modest mile times confirmed.

Maybe the humidity a contributing factor, hydration, diet, phase of the moon... Who knows.

Mid-morning coffee, wheels rolling out of the campground by 11:30am, heading only 20 miles north to the next stopover but trying to get in to the new campsite before the forecast early afternoon rain arrived.

Snatched a little cell service while driving, but gone again by the time I reached Salt Springs where, fortunately, I was able to secure a spot for the night. Large, fairly open campground, but good paved sites and full hook-ups.

After setting up, decided to take a quick look at the springs so got the bike out but a few drops of rain part-way there had me turning back, getting a little damp on the return but into the Airstream before the seriously heavy rain arrived at 1:00pm.

Rain had eased and skies brightened by 3:30pm, and it was still surprisingly warm, so hopped onto the bike and rode down to the springs - 52 million gallons of slightly salty water a day running 4 miles down into Lake George.

The upwelling of the water from the vertical fissures in the rock floor of the pool quite clear to see, and apparently attractive for mullet, with a large school swimming around the openings.

And I guess that's what these guys were "fishing" for out on the spring-fed lake, standing on the bow with their cross-bows.

Stopped at the ranger station on the way back to the campground for their free WiFi and an inexpensive ice-cream.

Cold weather ahead for the weekend and another dip to freezing overnight temperatures for the middle of next week, complicating my planning...

Saturday, January 13, 2018 - Salt Springs, Ocala National Forest, FL, to Silver Springs, FL

Cool this morning, with no sign of the brightness that was forecast.

Gradually working towards a decision on this weekend's plan, research courtesy of the WiFi at the park office, though rather frustrated at not being able to get through on the phone to a campground in Silver Springs.

So I headed back to the warmth of the Airstream, brewed coffee, and broke camp for the 20-mile drive out of Ocala national Forest to Silver Springs - yet another artesian spring location and with a state park at the site of the spring, which was unfortunately full over this weekend.

Stopped for a DTV channel reception check before committing to the commercial campground nearby - one of the key criteria for the weekend's location, in addition to keeping warm, being the ability to watch the NFL playoff games. Key stations coming in clearly, so I committed to the campground - not a terribly prepossessing place, a lot of sites, all close together, but at least it's moderately priced, I'm away from the noise of the highway, and the WiFi seems pretty good.

After an afternoon of work on a website project, and feeling the need to stretch my legs, walked to a Walmart to pick up a couple of grocery items, passing run-down garages and motels on the outskirts of town.

The state park, on the other side of the highway, must have been hosting a Mustang/classic car event as literally scores of throaty V8 Mustangs pouring out of the park and accompanied me on my walk down to the Walmart store.

Blue Moon beer and potato chips to wind down the working day, followed by pasta, a little cheese, then the highlight of the evening - with a bottle of Guinness cracked to mark the kickoff of the New England Patriots game.

Sunday, January 14, 2018 - Silver Springs, FL

Chilly, as forecast, with frost on the car and on the grass verge beside the road I had chosen for my morning run - which was not the best of choices, with rather more traffic than I had thought there would be and no sidewalk...

...and a loop round a park at the turning point of the run was particularly chilly where it ran among the darkness of the trees, but at least I got back to the RV before the wind began to pick up.

Decided to visit the Silver Springs State Park on the other side of the highway once the day had warmed a little, so headed over there at midday.

A tourist attraction in the heyday of motor excursions to Florida (before the railroad took over), the entrance looked almost Disneyesque but the park offered a pleasant stroll - and an ice-cream reward for my chilly morning run.

A fleet of glass-bottomed electric-powered boats were taking tourists on trips down the river and making small circles at the headwaters, hovering over the upwelling spring.

Back at the RV, comfortably warm thanks to being plugged into shorepower, I enjoyed an afternoon of NFL playoff games, both of which were competitive and highly entertaining.

Spent some time on progressing a photo project while watching the games, and also managed to secure a state park campground spot for tomorrow.

Monday, January 15, 2018 - Silver Springs, FL, to Rainbow Springs Campground, Dunnellon, FL

WiFi very slow in the campground, as it had been yesterday morning, but I persevered and managed to get a service appointment for the Airstream for the end of the week (wheel bearing re-packing) at a dealership just north of Gainesville - hopefully the forecast freezing overnight temperatures will have passed by the time I get there on Friday.

Meanwhile, a little retreat south is in order to avoid the next few days of forecast overnight temperatures in the mid-20s. A couple of calls to campgrounds on the west coast down towards Clearwater were unsuccessful - no room at the inn - but finally I found a spot for a couple of nights mid-week in New Port Richey.

Out of the campground at noon and an hour's drive west got me to Rainbow Springs Campground in time to check in and set up before a bite of lunch.

Then drove via the town of Dunnellon to the other side of the Rainbow River to the state park of the same name (campground and park in separate locations) for a stroll. Another location that was originally a motor excursion destination before being bought and converted to a state park once that craze was over.

I had no desire to swim in the spring but had a reasonable stroll through the park beside the river, though the infrastructure here - as generally in Florida state parks, it seems - is getting a little tired.

Back at the campground, where the infrastructure was actually better than average and the camp sites well separated and private, I took a walk down to the other side of the Rainbow River on which the campground is located and enjoyed 15 minutes sitting in the sun watching the river go by...

Tuesday, January 16, 2018 - Dunnellon, FL, to New Port Richey, FL

Found a quiet, meandering non-public road near the entrance to the campground that meant I didn't have to take my morning run along the highway dodging traffic. Very pleasant run, despite the low 30s temperature, to the extent that I carried on for an extra half-mile beyond my regular 4 miles.

Usual post-run routine, mid-morning coffee, dumped tanks, on the road by midday for a rather slow drive through a lot of traffic light intersections, making a grocery stop on the way, and arriving at the 55+ "RV Resort" at 2:30pm.

Unlike almost every other campground I've been in, this campground has two "water days" when washing of Rvs is allowed, so I spent a happy couple of hours late afternoon washing and drying the Airstream, figuring I could find a car wash for the Jeep during tomorrow's excursion.

Had an hour's chat with my RV neighbor after finishing my Airstream washing session - Jody, from Michigan who is 6 weeks into her RVing adventure, though with a lot of other non-RV things also going on that mean she's not quite as full-time as my schedule.

Quiet evening, with the rather late realization that the below freezing overnight temperatures that are forecast further north, from which I've been attempting to escape by driving south, are likely to extend into Friday morning... when I've got an overnight campsite booked just south of Gainesville to allow me to make my early Friday morning RV service appointment.

Hmmm... will revisit this at some point during the day tomorrow...

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