St Augustine, FL

We have spent an extended week in St Augustine, Fl to visit with friends and explore an area we visited only very briefly in November 2007. Several blogs covered this visit with the last being: http://goldenshoervtrip.blogspot.com/2007/11/flagler-college.html

We explored the St Augustine area including the lighthouse and beach. The lighthouse is one of the oldest in the area and has guided mariners during times of peace and war. We climbed the 219 steps to the top of the lighthouse and were rewarded with a great view of the city and ocean. Our day at the beach was very windy but we enjoyed the sounds of the surf and watching folks trying to control their various airborne beach toys.

The Lightner Museum is one of the acknowledged gems of the area. We spent several hours going thru the exhibits and I particularly enjoyed looking at the descriptions of what rooms were used for during the period it was owned by Mr. Flagler, known as the Hotel Alcazar and Spa. What is now a grand hall was once the pool. The steam room and shower area is still apparent and shows what luxury was like in the early days of Florida tourism for the rich and famous.

http://www.lightnermuseum.org/

We visited friends from the Toledo area, fellow Winnebago travelers, as well as our friends living in St Augustine. Ted and Sharon again invited us to a holiday dinner, this time for Easter. In 2007 we enjoyed a wonderful Thanksgiving dinner with them. They also joined us for lunch during the week and arrived on a very powerful motorcycle.

http://goldenshoervtrip.blogspot.com/2007/11/thanksgiving.html

We are now in our second day of extended stay, awaiting improved weather. Strong storms have rolled across our area including tornado warnings and across the area of our destination. The decision to wait was a good one. Tomorrow we leave Florida after nearly six months in the state. Next stop Greensboro, Ga.

Happy Birthday Anneke

Anneke is 29 on the 7th. (She made me say that)

Homosassa Springs Wild Life Park

One of the well known attractions in the area is the Homosassa Springs Wild Life Park. This was a private attraction for many years and was basically an exotic animal park. In the late 1980’s the park was purchased by the state of Florida and is now run as part of the state park system. We were here many years ago before it was taken over by the state.

http://www.homosassasprings.org/Homosassa.cfm

You can enter the park either by the east or west entrance. From the west entrance you can park and walk directly into the park. From the East entrance you can take a tram or a pleasant 15/20 minute boat river along a natural creek area. We opted for the boat ride.

After the state took over it was made into a exhibit for Florida native animals, with emphasis on those that are in jeopardy. All of the exotic animals were removed except the Hippopotamus. They could find no one to take it and it was decided that the animal had to be put down. The local citizens were very unhappy with this decision and petitioned the governor to save the animal. The Governor made the Hippo honorary citizen of Florida and thus was qualified to remain in the park. The Monday before our arrival they celebrated its 49 birthday.

We spent several hours walking the park and watching the animals. It was interesting to note how many of these we have seen in the wild as we explored Florida. It is well worth a visit and especially so with children.

Free Camping

We are back in Brooksville, Fl where we attended an FMCA rally in Feb in very cold temperatures, and staying in a developing park that is planning on being an upscale resort in the near future. We picked up a coupon for a free week at the FMCA event and decided to see how it is going. The park was purchased a few years ago from the former owners, who ran it as a trailer park and reportedly had mostly very old equipment on site. These have been all removed and the renovation has begun, but has a long way to go.

The park is in a very rustic setting with a very active pond, nearby woods, many old oak trees and lots of bugs. The fire ants and the caterpillar type bugs that live in the oak trees are the most annoying. While those who have been staying here for much of the winter report that there are big plans by the owners, but that the progress is slow. Indeed, during our stay we have seen some workers in the park, but could not see anything accomplished. The roads and sites are all dirt and some of the utilities are poorly laid out.

Having said this, we are enjoying our stay here. Watching the activities around the pond, the alligators, ducks, cranes, cormorants and a regularly visiting pair of bald eagles have made for a relaxing and entertaining visit. The alligators may be in for a surprise as the owners are trying to trap them and remove them to another location. So far, the alligators have shown no interest in the bait traps.
The few campers that are here say that they enjoy being here and like the quiet and low key atmosphere. We have attended a wine and cheese happy hour and shared some of our adventures and misadventures.

The Belle Parc Resort is a nice place to visit, but certainly far from a resort.