Author: Easin' Along

For those who might not know, Lake Kissimmee State Park is located in Central Florida. The nearest town is Lake Wales, but that is irrelevant. The park is really in the center of nowhere behind thousands of acres of orange groves. The area has an “old Florida” feel to it and is the perfect place to relax.

Helen and I came to relax for four days and spend some time with my sister LeAnne and her husband, Marty. We made this trip last year (pre-COVID) and had a delightful time sitting under the massive Live Oaks, draped in Spanish Moss. Eager to repeat the experience, we arrived on a Monday and were greeted by Marty and a couple of his friends from Melbourne, Florida. Marty’s friends purchased an RV recently and wanted to check out the lifestyle before their first trip.

Our campsite was spacious and shaded with enough vegetation between the sites to allow for plenty of privacy. We unhooked and settled in. The weather was the best we experienced to date—short sleeve and shorts weather. Perfect attire for Happy Hour!

While seated beside the trailer, I heard movement behind me and turned to a second greeting committee visiting our campsite.  At least six deer walked tentatively to within ten feet of us and continued to nibble away at the grass and leaves under their hooves.  One doe, the largest of the group, stood staring at us.  I knew better than to feed this bunch, but I picked up a peanut shell off the ground and held it out in front of me.  The doe slowly walked forward to sniff the surface and stood there long enough for Helen or Marty to take the picture at top of the page (I can’t remember who). She rejected my offering, but the entire herd hung around for several hours before retreating to my sister’s campsite, where they spent the night.

On another day, the deer came up behind me as I worked at my easel and remained for quite some time.  I think they were critiquing my artwork. Altogether, the deer never wandered far from us and obviously had been fed by previous campers.  On our visit in 2020, readers may remember that we had large turkeys stop by to chat (link above).

The remainder of our stay was less exciting but fun nonetheless. We rode bicycles almost every day and did a modest amount of hiking through the park.  We climbed to the top of an observation tower to get a view of Lake Kissimmee in the distance but chose not to make the walk. On our return to the campground, we paused to watch a Limpkin dig through the soft mud along the creek bank. He was searching for apple snails, his primary food source.  The Limpkin was a busy fellow and constantly shoved his curved bill into the abyss.  Helen collected a handful of snail shells that this handsome fellow had emptied.

We ate well ourselves during this stop.  Helen and I prepared a meal of Seafood Gumbo before we left home. Resisting temptation throughout this trip, we carried it in our freezer to share with LeAnn and Marty. Gumbo is one of my favorite meals, and this one turned out well. 

Marty reciprocated largely.  On our last night in Kissimmee, he seared some marinated Ahi Tuna that was delicious. Under the light of the moon, we feasted on a casual meal of tuna, a good salad, and a savory wine. I can’t remember the last time I felt this relaxed.

The days passed quickly at Lake Kissimmee, but don’t they all when you’re relaxed and having fun? We’re Easin’ Along to Jacksonville—please join us there.  Retirement is a great gig!

Quiet, beautiful, and low-key is how I would describe Cedar Key, Florida. This post is short because our stay in Cedar Key was short, the weather was cold, and, frankly, we weren’t very active given those conditions. Nevertheless, we enjoyed our visit–the third stop on our winter journey.

Cedar Key is an island city in the northwestern part of Florida on the Gulf Coast. Our drive along the coast from Pensacola took a little over four hours to cover the 200 miles. We had reservations at Cedar Key RV Resort, located on the mainland and about nine miles from the island bridge. The resort was very spacious, with paved sites and full hook-ups. We were assigned site #67 and backed in without incident, or so we thought. The next morning, the camp host knocked on our door to let us know we parked on site #68, not #67. He was very accommodating and allowed us to stay since we had already unloaded chairs and tables and connected our satellite antenna. Moving would not be fun.

With two full days to do anything we wanted, we decided to explore the area. Helen pulled out her guide books and did a little searching on Trip Advisor. Cedar Key is known for its wildlife and birds, so we chose to visit Cemetary Point Park, part of the Great Florida Birding Trail. We saw few birds this cold day. We were there for the exercise as much as for the birds. Cemetary Park has good walking trails and boardwalks that meander through a marsh. Kingfishers, Herons, Pelicans, and Gulls were about all that greeted us, and I captured a few of them with the camera. The only wildlife we saw was one lizard.

The town of Cedar Key is small, charming, and crowded with snowbirds in the winter. There is one short row of buildings along the water, filled with small shops, bars, and restaurants. We wanted oysters as a reward for our exercise walk, so we slipped into one of the oyster bars and treated ourselves. The oysters were local and very good, and the beer was cold.

Day two was not a whole lot different from day one. Helen read about a seafood market near the bridge that sold fresh scallops. Until recently, I was not a scallop lover, but a friend of ours prepared a seared scallop dish on our church campout that was delightful. We contacted Jennifer and asked her to send us the recipe. She sent it almost immediately, and we were off to the market. We bought two dozen large scallops–a half-dozen for dinner and the remainder for the freezer. The scallops were delicious.

That afternoon, the weather warmed up enough for Helen to work on her puzzle by the campfire before dinner. Campfires, puzzles, and scallops are the ingredients for one happy camper. We hit the road the next day very happy…and just Easin’ Along. See you at Lake Kissimmee.

We’re officially on the road now. In our previous post, we gave everyone a preview of the trip from our first stop at Maxwell Air Force Base in Montgomery, Alabama. We also included a snippet of the first day at Blue Angel Naval Recreation Park in Pensacola. I’m happy to report that everything got even better from there.

First, however, I have to give the Navy compliments for providing an excellent facility for military families and retired veterans (like me) to enjoy. The campground has excellent paved, shaded sites for RVs with full hookups. The showers are spotless, and the laundry facilities are convenient and inexpensive. We enjoyed the walking trails along Perdido Bay’s shores, where the waters are inviting, and the sunsets are spectacular. I encourage our Military Living readers to visit at the first opportunity.

Helen and I ventured out a couple of times to check out the Pensacola area and stretch our legs. Life in a lawn chair isn’t everything it’s cracked up to be. We needed some activity.

Downtown Pensacola is a small but scenic area. We visited the Pensacola Pier area, then drove to the city’s heart to explore the Sunday Market. COVID conditions have probably impacted the market, but we enjoyed a sampling of art, crafts, and food, all spaced well along the boulevard greenspace. Helen showed a lot of interest in a pie baker’s offerings but passed after thinking long and hard over a lemon-blueberry pie that had our mouths watering.

On another excursion, we drove to the Pensacola Lighthouse, an impressive 160-year-old structure that stretches 190 feet into the air. To reach the viewing deck required climbing 177 steps up a tight spiral staircase. We thought about it and decided to go for it, but 177 steps are a lot of steps. Nevertheless, we made it, and the view was worth the effort.

St. George Island State Park near Eastpoint and Apalachicola, Florida, often referred to as the Forgotten Coast, was stop number three on this trip. We discovered this campground three years ago and looked forward to returning. We fell in love with the beautiful wide beaches and the white sand that made the Gulf Coast special.

We wasted no time in looking for a dinner of fresh oysters on the half-shell as soon as we settled into our campsite. On our previous visit, we had a delightful experience at Hole In The Wall Oyster Bar in Apalachicola and drove to town hoping it was still there. Thankfully, the doors were open. Unlike our last visit when the place was crawling with guests, we were the only diners this evening. The diminished crowd did not affect the oysters–they were the best we’ve ever had. Duane, one of the owners, told us these oysters came from Texas the day before. They tasted so fresh and flavorful that I was sad to see the last one go down. Duane must have sensed my sadness and gave me two more on the house. He gave Helen two on top of her dozen as well.

Before leaving Knoxville, I contacted a blogger currently living near St. George Island about the possibility of meeting while we were nearby. Laurel, a professional writer, and her husband, Eric, were full-time RVers and shared their experiences in the entertaining and very well-written blog, Raven and Chickadee. Early in 2020, they came off the road to care for Laurel’s parents and to do some renovating on the family home.

Laurel invited Helen and me out to the newly renovated home for drinks and snacks around the firepit. The homesite on the shore of Apalachicola Bay is lovely. Laurel and Eric greeted us warmly, and Eric had a fire going when we arrived. Laurel served a tray of assorted vegetables and cheeses that hit the spot. We had fun chatting about RVing in general, and they gave us a wealth of information on destinations in the US and Canada.

The evening passed all too quickly. As we prepared to leave, I asked if we could walk out on their dock to take in the sunset, an opportunity I never let slip away. The sunset was stunning and added much to an already good time. We parted and promised to keep in touch.

Helen and I are in Cedar Key, Florida now, battling poor Wi-Fi connections and a nearly maxed out personal hotspot. I’m not sure when this post will make it online, but hopefully soon. In the meantime, we’re warm, dry, clean, well-fed, and still…Easin’ Along. Life in an RV is so good.