During our trip to New Jersey and our stay at Pine Cone RV Resort, we figured out the private parks use the word Resort loosely. Although this park had a pool, soccer field, tennis and basketball courts the campground still did not meet our qualifications for a resort. There are many permanent residents on one side of the campground and not as well-kept as we would prefer. All the sites and roads are sandy dirt. We were promised sewer but it was a honey truck that came once a week so we still had to monitor our usage. The price of $775 a month plus metered electric ($125) was overpriced. The campground served our purpose to be close to our sons for visiting.
While in New Jersey we visited Asbury Park numerous times and enjoyed the beach and good food. We enjoyed seeing the farms and buying fresh New Jersey grown produce. New Jersey is very green and we understand where it gets its name “The Garden State”. We had loads of fun taking cooking classes at Heirloom Kitchen in Old Bridge, New Jersey. If ever visiting, these classes are wonderful and very hands on. Check out www.ourheirloomkitchen.com Our daughter-in-laws parents live on Lake Lefferts and treated us to a dock float and dinner. This was a very special evening with such wonderful folks. We also visited NYC and while there went out to a Bluegrass festival in Prospect Park, Brooklyn. We left New Jersey July 17th and to avoid DC and Baltimore we decided to head west and check out the Amish Country in Pennsylvania. Our first stop was Ephrata, PA to eat at Shady Maple Smorgasbord. The food was delicious and the farm country was beautiful. We were anxious to get south so hurried through Virginia spending one night in Ashland, VA at Walmart and heading to Newport NC early the following morning to Goose Creek RV Resort.
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We have been home now for several weeks after 5 1/2 months on the road. It’s been work getting the house back in order. Our refrigerator didn’t appreciate being turned off and refused to come back on. Buying a new refrigerator was not in the plans but off we went to Lowe’s. On our next excursion we will not shut down the house so tightly as we did before.
The good times will not be forgotten. Our first big camping excursion included East Bank RV Park at Lake Seminole. Destin West RV Resort, Rock Crusher RV Park in Crystal River, Florida, Salt Springs RV Park and Lazy Days in Tampa, Florida. I think our favorite experience was in Crystal River with so many places to hike and bike. The manatees in this area are something to behold! We made so many friends during our travels, especially at Destin West. Sherrian and I are very thankful for the life we have embarked on and look forward to future camping experiences. We will blog about our Lazydays buying experience at a later date. After a month waiting on our motorhome at Lazydays we are ready to head to Buford GA. Wouldn’t you know the first forty miles of I-75 was under construction across all lanes. The pavement was uneven, it was raining and there was an abundance of transfer trucks. The 34 ft gas Allegro Open Road was a driving experience under these conditions for a newbie to motorhomes. In addition to the aforementioned conditions the motorhome seems to have a good bit of sway built into it. We were all over the road. It was everything I could do to stay in our lane.
Although the Lazydays driving course was helpful, we never went over 10 miles an hour and only learned a few driving tips for turning and radius. Driving the interstate under such conditions was not included. After forty miles we stopped at a rest area to eat lunch and take a break. Sherrian really enjoyed being able to stay in the motorhome to make lunch and take a rest. Once back on the road the driving became tremendously easier. It was like night and day and I became a lot calmer. The construction zone ended, the rain stopped and there were a few less transfer trucks on the interstate. In addition, I became more attuned to the driving techniques required to stay in my lane. We made it to I-75 RV Park in Tifton, GA for an overnight stay. Check out the review here for this park. Just as we thought, setup for the motorhome was much easier than setting up the fifth wheel. From the time we pulled in, it took 15 minutes to level, put out the slides, and hook up to power, water and sewer. In the fifth wheel it took about 45 minutes not counting the time it took to back in and unhook from the truck. In the morning, unhooking and taking off was just as easy. Several hours later we made it to Buford, GA and to Big Anchor Storage. We had a friend pick us up since the truck was gone forever and we headed home. We have made our decision and purchased a 2011 Tiffin Allegro 34ft Open Road gas model. We were told it would be ready with new tires etc last Friday but here we sit in the delivery lot and we are still waiting. We hope now to have it tomorrow but have our doubts.
It was a big decision to go to a class A but we felt we would be more comfortable driving a motorhome and pulling a small car. We hated to give up our fifth wheel and especially the F350 but it will be nice to sightsee in a small vehicle. We have been here a few days now and did not have any idea there was an RV dealership this large. The campground is a little tight but the amenities are nice. Visit our webpage for a review of the campground. We have decided to trade in our truck and fifth wheel for a motorhome but the problem is narrowing the choice out of so many. We particularly favor the Tiffin Allegro but do we go gas or diesel. That is the question.
Within the Salt Springs Campground in the Ocala Nat'l Forest there are a few short trails including the Bear Swamp Trail that takes you from the campground to Salt Springs Run. These trails take you along a canal and boat ramp with great views of Salt Springs Run and St John's River. Salt Springs Run flows 5 miles to Lake George in the St John's River. There are numerous turtles, manatees and a few alligators. This area is very popular for fisherman and kayakers.
We’ve left Rock Crusher RV Park in Crystal River, Florida and made the drive to Salt Springs Campground in Ocala National Forest.
No problem getting set up and we are looking forward to exploring the Salt Springs and many trails. We’ve been warned this is bear country and some people in the park have seen black bears. No coolers outside, empty or full, and no food or trash outside or in the vehicle. We understand wasp spray will work so a trip to Dollar General is a must. The sites are spacious and paved and plenty of room for dogs to run or in our case the cats to explore. We’ll let you know more after we explore but right now we will enjoy this 69 degree afternoon and walk to the springs. Read more about the campground on the Salt Springs Campground page. Today we decided to take a day trip to Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park. It is not typical of most state parks but has a theme of being a wildlife refuge or animal assisted living. This is not a zoo. After crossing the visitor center we boarded a pontoon boat for a one mile ride to the refuge park and purchased tickets to enter.
All but one of the animals in the park are native to Florida. That one happens to be named Lu and he is a 3500 lb hippo rescued from TV land. He got too big and the shows went off the air. He was taken to the Homosassa Springs Park which at the time was private. When the state bought the park they only wanted animals native to Florida and said Lu couldn't stay. The people of Homosassa protested loudly and the state made Lu an honorary resident of Florida so he could stay. He celebrates his 55th birthday on Monday. The oldest hippo in captivity lived 61 years but in the wild they only live about 35 years. This hippo knows only the human imprint and could never be released. The exhibits are very informative and presented by volunteers of the park. The bird exhibit was the most interesting. Some birds are injured residents and can't fly away but many come and go freely just for the free food. The park also contains an underwater observatory where we could view many fish species and sometimes the four resident manatees. The springs stay a constant 72 degrees and in the winter months the park opens the gates to allow the wild manatees to come in for warmth. We spent about three hours observing the animals, stopping for an ice cream cone and listening to the educational programs. It was a great way to spend an afternoon. Annually Crystal River Florida holds a Manatee Festival. The festival takes place in downtown Crystal River in Heritage Village and the water side area along Kings Bay. Boat tours are available and shuttles provide transport to Three Sister Springs for manatee viewing. This is the 28th annual festival.
We couldn't believe the number of visitors estimating to be 15,000. There were local and retail vendors with booths along the closed streets. There was artwork, photography, sculptures, crafts and jewelry on display plus a wide variety of wonderful food. Saturday was a Caribbean theme with Amazing Steel drums opening for The Caribbean Chillers. The Three Sisters Springs manatee tour is a must. We thoroughly enjoyed viewing the manatees and the clear spring water. The manatees come in from the gulf when it's cold to enjoy the warmer water that stays at 72 degrees year round. From November to April the manatee population peaks and the kayakers and swimmers enjoy these great animals. There are special roped off areas for the manatee's to swim when they tire of being around people. In Three Sisters Springs, the manatees will rest during the colder days, and on the warmer days, they will venture in and out as they feed throughout Kings Bay on the grasses which make up their diet. Whether or not you travel to this area for the Manatee Festival, Crystal River is a must stop for RVers. There are many hiking and biking trails and kayaking opportunities. The Crystal River Preserve State Park is home to many activities including biking hiking and birding trails, boating, kayaking, fishing and park sponsored boating tours. On our first visit to the park we went to the visitor center and obtained brochures and information from the park ranger. We also hiked the short Crystal Cove Birding Trail. This trail takes you along marshes and canals. At the end there is a fantastic view of sawgrass marshes and the Crystal River.
We returned yesterday to bike the Seven Mile Loop. The bike ride takes you along marshes and vast fields of sawgrass. Since we went late in the day, we only spotted two hawks and one playful otter. If you take this trail in the early morning, you will see much more wildlife in these many habitats. The bike trail is wide and clearly marked. During the rainy season we are told it often floods so be sure to check any alerts at the ranger station. This includes all the trails in the state park. It took us an hour and 45 minutes to bike the loop and we stopped often to take pictures. Visit our Hike and Bike Trails website for more info on the trails. |
AuthorWe love to travel in our 2021 Coachmen Beyond van about half of the year. Join us, if you will, to see where our adventures take us. Archives
April 2021
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