Day 14: Ross Prairie to Rainbow Springs State Park

I don't think last night set any records in Florida, but it was certainly colder that average----26 degrees this morning!  It was a cold night, with all our blankets on the bed, the electric heater cranking out heat all night, and still it was only 50 inside.  So I turned on the propane furnace early, when I arose, bringing the temperature up into the low 60's.  Much better!

Ranger did not mind the cold at all.  He was ready for his early walk, and despite my intentions to make it a short one, he lingered outside, enjoying the sunshine and lack of gusty winds.  An improvement over yesterday!  And those horses were still there for his watchful eye.

We stayed in a warm RV until late morning, and we left a little after 11 o'clock for our next destination, Rainbow Springs State Park.....only about 16 miles away. (The park is between Ocala on the east and the Gulf on the west, near the town of Dunnellon.)   Fortunately our site was already emptied, and we could set up by lunchtime.  I really needed a good shower, and this park had just that----clean showers with plenty of hot water and lots of space for drying afterwards.  

So far, this is the best campsite and best shower of the trip!  Our site is spacious, with plenty of vegetation around to provide some privacy.  

It was time for some grocery shopping, so we left Ranger to take his afternoon nap and headed out to the nearest Publix.  Dan also picked up the bulb needed to fix the back light on the RV, and he spent time on our return with that.  It got into the high 50's by late afternoon, pleasant to sit in the sun, with jacket on, soaking up the sunshine.

In late afternoon, we walked down to the river, giving Ranger a chance to check out all the interesting new smells in this park.  In warmer weather, this is a popular place for swimming, kayaking, and especially tubing down the river.  

As we headed back to the campsite, a couple was just bringing in their kayak, having traveled to the nearby town of Dunnellon in one direction and the headsprings of the Rainbow River in the other.  A lovely  place to spend time on  the water!

The temperature is dropping quickly as the sun goes down.  We had a campfire, though it was too cold to sit comfortably outside to enjoy it.  Expected low for tonight....34 degrees.  We'll see whether that's correct!

Day 13: Chilly day in Florida

After yesterday's storms came through, the weather was supposed to turn colder and very windy, and it definitely did that!  However, we also had some lingering showers overnight, which caused me to be outside in my PJ's at 1 am, covering the bike seats and the grill with plastic bags to keep them dry.

It was a blustery morning for Ranger's first walk, though he never seems to mind the cold.  We packed up and left Hillsborough River a little after 11, and by then, I thought the temperatures might be rising.  No....they stayed in the upper 40's all day, with winds continuing as well.  I was glad that Dan was driving in that wind which buffeted the  RV all along I-75 as we  headed north.

Our stopping place was just 80 miles away, at Ross Prairie State Park/Forest (different names on different maps).  We ended up with just the one night here because it's a Saturday, a tough day to get overnight reservations in a Florida park, and it is on the way---really very close---to our next destination at Rainbow Springs State Park, near Dunnellon, west of Ocala.  

I wondered what to expect, as this is actually an "equestrian campground".  The sites are all out in the open (which is nice today as we have the sun on us, providing a little bit of warmth).  They are all large pull-through sites, long enough for large horse trailers, and rather than being lined up in a row, they curve around in sort of a paisley pattern---very unusual.  And yes, there are posts to which to tie one's horse, and the state forest is criss-crossed with horse trails.  

So here's the view from our RV this afternoon:

Ranger seems to find those funny-looking big "dogs" across the campground road quite entertaining to watch.

We bundled up, with knit hats and gloves, and walked around the 2 1/4 mile "holly hammock trail".  The vegetation here is quite different from just a little farther south: no palm trees, fewer palmettos, lots of pines, and dense undergrowth.  

The campground host just stopped in to remind us to unhook our water hose tonight and leave the spigot dripping.  Temperatures are supposed to get below freezing.  But at least it's not snowing!

Day 12: Rainy day at Hillsborough River State Park

The weather forecast said rain for the whole day, and I awoke to the sound of light rain on the roof.  Ranger and I managed to get in a short walk between showers.  Then we had a quiet morning inside the RV, awaiting something from the "severe thunderstorm warning" that was posted until 5 pm.

I did manage to get sheets and towels washed, and I vacuumed the RV to remove the large amounts of sand that had built up in the carpet.  Around noon, a strong storm blew through with thunder, lightning, and pouring rain.

Here's the view from the RV doorway on a rainy day:

The afternoon remained cloudy with intermittent showers, but by around 4:00, it had cleared enough that we could get Ranger outside for a walk along the River Rapids trail.  Our neighbors, a couple from Connecticut, said they had seen an alligator along there earlier in the day, but no luck---we didn't see any.

Many of the campers had packed up and left this morning, but with this being a weekend, the campground is once again FULL.  A couple from Staten Island moved into the next site in a small trailer, and diagonally behind a group of young people---many college students?----put up several tents and are enjoying a campfire this evening.  We have a short drive tomorrow, so we don't need to leave early, again heading north on I-75.  Tomorrow is supposed to be very windy, behind today's storm, and much colder.  

Day 11: Honeymoon Island State Park

After a slow start to the day, we headed out in the car to Honeymoon Island State Park, a little over 40 miles west of where we are camping.  It was a bit warmer in the AM, upper 40's and partly cloudy.  

After a long drive (1 1/2 hours) to drive about 44 miles, we arrived at Honeymoon Island . One thing we learned in our exploration of this area:  all the major highways run north/south. If you are traveling east/west, you're on minor roads with lots of traffic lights!  

Once at the park, we walked the Osprey Trail on this barrier island and saw LOTS of ospreys!

It seemed that everywhere we looked there was another osprey or osprey nest!

From there we had lunch at the concession stand at the beach, then moved on to the dog beach:

Kelly, you would be surprised to hear that on this dog beach, one must keep dogs on their six-foot leashes.  But it was a pleasant place to view willets and pelicans.

We returned to Hillsborough River State Park as the almost-full moon came up.  We enjoyed another fine campfire in the high 50-degree temperatures.  Perfect for sitting outside in the evening!

It's supposed to be warmer tonight, but rain moving in tomorrow.  Better than the snow that is predicted for Montpelier VA!

Day 10: At Hillsborough River State Park

It was a chilly morning here.  Ranger woke me earlier than usual (about 6:45), ready to head out for his walk, and it was 37 degrees.  It got down to 57 inside the RV.  Once up and dressed, it was not too bad, though Dan chose to stay in bed, under the blankets until the sun warmed things up a bit.

We had a late, leisurely breakfast of scrambled eggs, Canadian bacon, and toast; then we headed out for a hike.  Ranger seemed happy to be on the trail, rather than sitting in the back seat of the car (or in the RV):

We hiked around the Florida Trail, about 3 1/2 miles.  Most of it was in mixed palm/palmetto/hardwood forest with a fair amount of mud, but the last mile or so was along the river:

We returned to the campsite for a late lunch and some relaxation in the by-then mid-60's temperatures.  Later in the afternoon, Ranger and I did one more short hike along the river.

Ranger is well-entertained by the large number of dogs near this campsite.  Two of our close-by neighbors pulled out this morning, and the couple from Connecticut who pulled into the site behind ours has a poodle mix that seems very eager to play with Ranger.  There are also two dogs across the road who need his attention (in his opinion).

We had a good campfire in late afternoon, then headed in and turned on the little heater for an evening of reading and relaxation.  

Day 9: Myakka River State Park to Hillsborough River State Park

We got up fairly early, packed up, and headed north on I-75, traveling about 80 miles to Hillsborough State Park, northeast of Tampa. Hillsborough is one of the oldest state parks, with many of the buildings having been built by CCC boys in the 30's.  I made an unfortunate choice of sites here; our site is very small and we have neighbors close by on three sides.  

Other than the site, this park seems quite nice.  Ranger and I took a walk along the river this afternoon.  We did see a few people canoeing, despite the cool temperatures; the park is known for good kayaking and canoeing.  There is a cafe and gift shop here, as well as a large swimming pool which, in this weather, is not open for business!  

So the weather.....the radio-announcer said that they are expecting the coldest night of the season tonight, going into the 30's.  Indeed, it was a very cool afternoon here, in the 50's, enough so that we were back in jackets and jeans.  (I did have an opportunity this afternoon to do some laundry, so at least we have clean jeans and warm shirts for the upcoming days.)

We're here for four days, and we hope to explore the coast near Tampa.

Day 8: Exploring the Sarasota area

Ah...we awoke to sunshine and no more rain!  But behind the storm came a mass of cold air, so that it was a COLD 48 degrees this morning for Ranger's walk.

Once the sun was up and the air was warming, we headed out in the car to explore the area.  First stop: Oscar Scherer State Park.  We walked around the campground to check it out: good sites in a good location but bad showers!  We will consider this park for the future.  It is supposed to be a great place to spot Florida scrub jays, but no luck in seeing any.

From there, we headed to the Celery Fields, a park run by Sarasota Audubon Society and well-known as a good place for bird-watchers.  Ranger enjoyed a long walk along the trails there, where we saw scaups, palm warblers, and a loggerhead shrike.  We then did a little grocery-shopping, stopped at the campground to put away food, and then did some bird-watching up at the Birdwalk in Myakka River.

This evening the temperature is dropping, with lows expected in the 40's.  BRRRR!  Pretty cold for Florida!  We had a campfire and Dan cooked hot dogs over the coals.  (It seems that we only eat hot dogs while camping.)   Tomorrow we'll be heading up to the next park for four days.

I've been taking photos, but the internet here is quite weak, so I'll need to catch up on pictures at the next location.....perhaps.