Wekiwa Springs State Park, Apopka, Florida

 After spending the week sleeping on the boat at Westland Marina, we drove back to Orlando to pick up the camper after the service work was done and headed again to Wekiwa Springs State Park. We got in early enough to find the trail to the springs before dark. Bears had been sighted so we had to keep everything packed up. We cooked dinner in the instant pot and the temperature had dropped so we ate dinner inside. We were plenty cozy and had a restful sleep. The next morning, we stopped at a coffee shop near Lake Eustis for breakfast on our way to Wewahitchka.

We found the springs trail

Liking the lichen

Near the springs

Water so clear you could see the fish on the bottom

Canoe and kayak rentals to head up the river

The history of the park

Swimming and picnic area at the springs

Long boardwalk through the wetlands

Our campsite at Wekiwa Springs State Park

Bear country

As darkness fell

Great coffee and bagel sandwich in Eustis

Historic waterfront decked out for the holidays

Lake Griffin State Park, Fruitland Park, Florida

 We found a new campground near Orlando RV Service Center so we could drop off the Airstream for them to modify the shower door. Our original plan was to drop her off on Friday but we ended up sleeping in the camper in the boatyard over the weekend and driving back to Orlando on Monday for the service work while we slept on the boat. We hiked the nature trail in the morning as we got in after dark so ran out of time to scout out the trail to the lake.

Nature trail ran right behind our campsite

Gorgeous tall trees

Beautiful old growth forest

Nice trail through the wetlands

The path  got wetter and the bugs ran us back

Our campsite at Lake Griffin

 

 

Grayton Beach State Park, Santa Rosa Beach, Florida

 We managed to book a one-night stay at Grayton Beach State Park on a Friday night in order to attend the Bay County Audobon Society birdwatching at Panama City Beach Conservation Park on Saturday morning. It was a beautiful sunny day as we headed to Grayton Beach State Park campground around noon. We had a beautiful shady spot across the road from the lakeside sites. We walked out of the park to the 30-A biking/hiking trail and over to the Beach Camp Brewpub in Grayton Beach. We had the whole outdoors to ourselves sitting at a sunny table and enjoying their craft beers and pulled pork nachos. From there we headed back into the park towards the gulf beach boardwalk over the dunes. It was a flat calm day out in the Gulf of Mexico and there were kayakers enjoying the water. A few shorebirds waded in the water as we beachcombed along the shore. We took our chairs for a happy hour along the lakefront for the sunset. After making black bean turkey chili in the Instant Pot we hurried inside as the temperatures were dropping into the 30s overnight. Our heater and polar fleece sleeping bag comforter kept us toasty. We had to hurry to make it to the Panama City Beach Conservation Park to join the other birders. Our first time here and we followed one of the many trails to Buck Pond. Our leader had his spotting scope so we were able to see the birds and ducks up close. It was overcast and cold so we did not have our usual picnic lunch with the group.

A new brewery

Lots of seating outdoors

Our campsite at Grayton Beach State Park

Hiking from the campground to the beach

A calm gulf of Mexico

Shorebirds enjoying the surf

View back to lake and campground

Sunset happy hour spot

The sunset over the gulf through the woods

Conservation park trail

The bare trees made for easy bird spotting

Woodpecker close up

Well marked paths

Extensive trail map

Enlarged view of our brightest bird

A glossy egret

Cattails rimming the wetlands

A great  egret

Ducks surrounded by duck weed

Flashy wildflower

Moonpie Farm and Creamery, Cottondale, Florida

 We were headed to Falling Waters State Park in Chipley, Florida for an Audobon Society birdwatching trip when we discovered their campgrounds were closed for road maintenance. So we booked Friday night at the Moonpie Farm and Creamery Harvest Host in nearby Cottondale, Florida. We were met by the owner at the end of her dirt road and directed to a gorgeous grassy spot in between her two duck ponds for the night. We followed her to the country store which was filled with all her homemade goodies like jams and jellies, preserves, and cracker crisps. She had homemade seasoned goat cheese and yogurt in the freezer along with homemade breakfast sausage to go with the abundant farm fresh eggs. We loaded up with a selection and had crisps and goat cheese for happy hour and scrambled eggs and sausage for breakfast the next morning. We had a walk around the farm before dark to visit all the animals. We left early after breakfast for the birdwatching trip at the Falling Waters State Park. It was a combined trip with the plant society so we wandered through the park looking at flowers, plants, and birds. It was a beautiful sunny day and a nice walking group. We stopped at the Odd Pelican Brewery in Freeport for a cold beer and a taste of pork ribs and tacos from their Rising Swine food truck.

Followed the French ducks to the country store

Her peacock's feathers are on display

Strutting roosters

Our campsite at Moonpie Creamery

Just ducky pond

Around the farm

The farm at dusk

The falls at Falling Waters State Park

The red-headed woodpecker on a dead tree

Tiny wildflowers

Boardwalks leading to the falls and the lake

The end of a great birding trip at Odd Pelican Brewery