Chassahowitzka River Campground, Brooksville, Florida

 After spending the day in Winter Park waiting on the RV maintenance to be done, we shopped at Walmart and Trader Joe's and then walked through the Botanical Gardens. It was dark before we were on our way to Chassahowitzka River Campground to meet up with Glenn's sister Connie and niece Teresa. We had a pull through site so we just jumped in the camper for a snack dinner before calling it a night.

Camilla's just starting to bloom

On Tuesday morning, we headed to niece Jackie's house to unload her childhood memory pavers of hand and foot prints from when Paw Paw and Maw Maw put in the carport at our house now. We then headed to First Watch restaurant for a relaxing late breakfast on the patio.

Our campsite

On Wednesday morning we cooked corned beef hash at eggs for breakfast at the campsite and then pumped up our two person inflatable kayak. We launched it at the campground springs and then enjoyed the afternoon paddling around with Jackie and Drake having lost the rest of the family who headed the other way. We ended the day, fishing at the dock but the no see um bugs were vicious around sundown so we escaped to the screened in porch to cook dinner.

Unpacking the kayak

Shoulda had a motor

Catching the big one

View of springs from kayak launch

Trimaran kayak

My color changing citronella candle

On Thanksgiving Thursday, we met at Teresa's house for a tour and then met up with Jackie and Drake at Weekiwatchee Preserve for a beautiful hike around the old mine with the quarry lakes and wetlands. We all met up back at the campground for Thanksgiving lunch provided by the campground hosts. We walked off our lunch by trying to find a trail to Seven Sisters Spring. We joined the rest of the family at Connie's screened in porch for dinner and games around the campfire.

Our walk in the preserve

Sand hill crane mating dance

The Thanksgiving lunch spread

Turkey dance for treats

Scenic and serene

On Friday, we went to Breakfast Station for breakfast and then to Beall's for Black Friday sale but it was my birthday 20% off that gave us the savings on Glenn's shorts. We headed back to the campground to go kayaking with Teresa and Connie and saw otters, bald eagle and other waterfowl as well as the resident manatees.

On Saturday, we got an early start stopping at Granny's Restaurant for breakfast before driving all the way back to Valparaiso.

Summer Crush Winery, Harvest Host, Fort Pierce, Florida

 Heading south from Sebastian Inlet and Long Point Park, we stopped at our favorite Archie's Restaurant in Fort Pierce for a burger and a beer. We have fond memories of anchoring our sailboat and dinghying in to the park and the walk here for great outdoor seating and food and drink. We texted our cruising friend, Larry on S|V Dove who met us at Summer Crush Winery later that afternoon. There was Motown Music at the winery pavilion that we could hear at our campsite so we enjoyed catching up. Larry then took us on a tour past his rental house and RV park to show us the tornado damage from Hurricane Helene. The bugs ran us inside for dinner and we had to make it an early start to be in Orlando on Monday morning for RV maintenance.

Cat relaxing on the porch of the Tasting Room at Summer Crush Winery

Sandhill cranes at our campsite overlooking vineyard

The music venue

Sunset over the vines

Long Point County Park, Melbourne Beach, Florida

 We enjoyed a quick overnight stay with Valerie and Graham at Manatee Springs and got an early start stopping for breakfast at Bar-B-Q Bill's right outside the park in Chiefland. We had plans to meet up with our financial advisor that got cancelled so we continued on to set up camp at a new spot across from Sebastian Inlet. It was a tiny spot to maneuver backing in but we made it work as this campsite on the water was mixed in with tent sites. We headed over to my sister's for happy hour and  a delicious dinner of vodka pasta  before returning to the campsite around sunset.

Our campsite at Long Point

On Saturday morning we met up with my sister and brother-in-law at Blueberry Muffin Cafe which was a favorite spot of my mom's.  On the way we made a quick stop at Ponde De Leon Beach side Park for a view of the Atlantic Ocean. We had wonderful blueberry waffles and pumpkin pecan pancakes. We headed over to the marina to check out a friend of Kimberly's catamaran and got a tour of the boat. We then left the guys at the house and a did a quick shopping trip to Beall's and Michaels. We helped pull out Christmas decorations before walking over to Gleason Park to feed the ducks and enjoy the hiking trail around the pond. We ended up at a new pizza spot at Pappagallo's  Pizza and sat inside thinking it was to cool to enjoy the outside beachfront seating. 

Juan Ponce De Leon Park

On Sunday morning we met up at Oh Biscuit with Carie and Jay and the twin great nephews meeting us under their new pavilion and new menu. I still enjoyed my favorite egg and biscuit. On the way back, we stopped at Archie Carr National Wildlife Refuge and did a quick tour of the museum before heading back to the campground to make the 11 am checkout.

Archie Car Wildlife Refuge

Sea bean collection

Our tiny waterfront view

Looking back after we pulled out of our campsite

Manatee State Park, Chiefland, Florida

 After a pleasant evening and overnight stay with Pam and Bob in Wewahitchka, we drove together to Apalachicola for a wonderful breakfast at Cafe Con Leche. We then continued south to Chiefland to join up with Valerie and Graham to camp at Manatee State Park. We enjoyed an early relaxing beer in their screened in porch before taking off for a hike to the springs and to walk the boardwalk. We cooked up a tasty beef stew in the instant pot and enjoyed happy hour munchies before dinner in their comfy screened in porch. We had to get up early the next morning to head to Melbourne for a meeting which got cancelled so we continued on to Long Point County Park in Melbourne Beach to set up camp.

Welcome to Manatee Springs State Park

Our campsite

Turkey vultures roosting along the boardwalk

Spooky spider on the dock

Surrounding  boardwalk closed due to hurricane damage

Topsail Hill Preserve State Park, Santa Rosa Beach, Florida

 For a birthday getaway, we drove to Grayton Beach for a delicious breakfast at Cracklings before heading to the Topsail Hill Preserve State Park which is the first campground we took our Airstream trailer after purchase. Since we were early for check in we parked in the parking lot and caught the tram to the Gulf side beach. It was windy and we walked the hard packed beach down to pick up the trail across the dunes to the Deer track  trail that led back to the bike path and then to the campground. We ducked through the trail past the walk in tent campsite and found our right on the lake across from the pool house. We enjoyed happy hour and a walk down to the beach boardwalk for sunset before making our Instant pot taco bowls for dinner.

Hungry birds

A long stretch of undeveloped beach

Water lilies in bloom in lake along Deer track trail

Our beautiful campsite at Topsail

A spectacular sunset

Left over Halloween decoration

On Wednesday we walked the bike path to the Gopher Tortoise Trail that took us close to Highway 98 where we walked the fence line until  it ended and we found a way across the ditch to the bike path and backtracked back to the Donut Hole for breakfast. The cinnamon bread French toast and biscuits were excellent. It rained off and on so we chilled out in the camper and then hiked down to the lake on the way to the beach at sunset. We cooked chicken wings in the Air fryer enjoyed along with camp style pork and beans.

Hiking along No Name Lake

Beautiful reflection

All the beach birds

Comfy simple design benches

Another spectacular sunset