Our two weeks of traveling through Florida is coming to an end, but we certainly went out in style with a wonderful stay at the new Sunkissed Village RV Resort in Summerfield, Florida.
A few months back, the owner of the new facility found out about our trip, and graciously asked if we might try his new site when we reach Florida. And did it ever turn out to be one good decision!
It’s hard to have a bad “camping” stay when you get to enjoy this! For a couple of campers traveling for a year, it was a welcome sight for sure!
For us, it was the perfect location to head out for day trips to Mt. Dory, Orlando and the sensational Silver Springs State Park. Not to mention, it is literally minutes from the famous “The Villages” as well.
In our three short days staying at Sunkissed Village RV, we certainly had a blast! Not only did we love biking and walking the entire park, but we also were able to take part in so many of the activities and amenities that make a park great.
From the pool and hot tub, to tennis, shuffleboard, and the pickle & bocce ball courts – we had more than enough to do each evening after returning from our sightseeing excursion!
The main dining and activity room at Sunkissed Rv Park. We took advantage of the space and wi-fi to write a few articles here!
And as if on cue, our last night was spent enjoying Sunkissed Village RV’s Friday Night Social around the fire pit. Talk about getting to meet so many incredible fellow campers. And what are the chances I would meet two fellow graduates at the social from my alma mater, my beloved Ohio Northern University!
The Wonderful Hearts Of Fellow Campers
The more time we spend out on the road, the more we realize how incredible fellow campers really are. When you find a great RV park, it is always the fellow campers that really make it all perfect. And that certainly was the case over the last 3 days.
We so enjoyed meeting and spending time with Gayle & John, who run the Village’s activities and events. We even took part here in one of their grill-out lunches.
We spent every morning and evening either walking or biking the 1.5 miles of paved roads that run throughout Sunkissed Village RV. For us, it was an easy and refreshing way of exercise to start and end each day.
But with each and every walk or bike ride, we always seemed to find ourselves in a wonderful conversation with fellow campers. And of course, a whole lot of waves and hearty “hello’s” as we went by.
While staying at Sunkissed Village RV, we headed down to The Villages to have lunch with Bill & Mary – a couple we made friends with while camping in Medora, North Dakota last fall. We have made some incredible camping friends all over this country, and these are two of the best!
Quite honestly, the three days wasn’t nearly enough. One thing is for sure, the park is absolutely gorgeous, and a place we would love to come back to in the future for sure!
A BIG thank you to Louie, Darla, C.C., Gayle and John at Sunkissed Village RV for making the stay so wonderful, and also to all of our fellow campers we were so fortunate to meet! See : Sunkissed RV Resort Park
And so with that, it’s now time to head up to St. Augustine and the Fountain of Youth. Who knows, maybe we can “un-age” a few years before heading into Georgia tomorrow!
Today, based on a recommendation of a restaurant manager that we met in Apollo Beach, we traveled to Mount Dora, Florida.
Neither of us had ever heard of the town, and he encouraged us to spend some time exploring the area.
So after a morning bike ride at our campground at Sunkissed Village RV Resort, just north of The Villages, we decided to head out and see what the little town had to offer.
All along the streets of Mount Dora are restaurants, shops and boutiques.
But first, we took our time driving through back roads, winding through several lake towns on our way there. And we eventually came across a fantastic Farmer’s market at the Lake County Fairgrounds.
After an impromptu stop, we continued on our journey to Mount Dora.
The Town of Mount Dora
When we arrived to the charming, one-hundred plus year old historic village, we knew that we were in for something special, as there were people and cars parked everywhere.
There are helpful signs at every corner indicating where the shops and restaurants are located.
In fact, although there were plenty of public parking lots, it took us about 15 minutes of driving around to finally find an available spot on a side street. Of course we understood the crowd, as this is the ‘snow bird’ season here in Florida.
But once we got out of the truck, we had the opportunity to walk and explore the Mount Dora area.
The first thing that we noticed that the streets were filled with locally owned speciality shops and restaurants. Once famous as “the Antiques Capital,” Mount Dora now boasts a wide variety of retail, gift & specialty shops, stores and boutiques.We walked around for awhile and finally ended up at Copacubana Cuban Cafe.
You can find restaurants tucked in a back alley but beautifully decorated.
After an amazing lunch we decided to walk around the town to see what else we could see. In addition, we wanted to walk off some of our delicious lunch!
Lake Dora
After walking just a couple of blocks from the center of town, we found ourselves on the banks of Lake Dora. Known as part of the “Bass Capital of the World”, we saw several people fishing on the docks.
The sun was glistening beautifully across the water, and it was absolutely stunning. So we took a walk along the public boardwalk to get a closer look.
One of the public docks in Lake Dora where you can go on a boat tour.
We quickly realized that this was the location of many boat tours and water craft rentals. In addition to taking a traditional boat tour, you can drive your own 2-person powered catamaran on a guided tour across Lake Dora. And you can also go through the world-famous Dora Canal into Lake Eustis.
The scenic Dora Canal connects the six-mile-long Lake Dora with other lakes leading to the St. John’s River, Jacksonville, and eventually the Atlantic Ocean.
Although we didn’t take a specific tour today, I can imagine how interesting it would be to learn the history of the lakes and surrounding areas.
Here at The Port of Mount Dora you can read a quote from Mark Twain that we find very dear to our hearts.
After spending time on the dock, we decided to head around the corner to find the Lake Lighthouse.
Lake Lighthouse
But before we arrived, we found another interesting historic building. Built in 1883, the Lakeside Inn is the oldest continuously operating hotel in the State of Florida.
Throughout its 130-year history, Lakeside Inn has hosted many noted dignitaries and celebrities. The bright yellow buildings are beautifully maintained and would be a fantastic place to stay while you are visiting Mount Dora.
The Lakeside Inn is the oldest continuously operating hotel in the state of Florida
And within walking distance from the Inn, we were at the famous Lake Dora Lighthouse. The lighthouse was created from road rubble and fill to create one of Mount Dora’s most famous landmarks.
Though considered by many to be a faux lighthouse, it is registered as an inland aid to navigation, the only one in Florida.
The 35 foot lighthouse was dedicated on March 25, 1988. It holds a 750-watt photocell that sends a blue pulsator sending out a guiding light to all boaters navigating Lake Dora after dusk. And if you ask any of the locals, it is the beloved landmark of Mount Dora.
This is the one and only inland lighthouse in the state of Florida.
So if you find yourself in Orlando, or snow birding near The Villages, make sure that you make the trip to spend a day in Mount Dora!
Happy Traveling! – Jim and Mary
CURRENT TRIP STATUS TO DATE:
Day 173 of 365
States : 21/50
National Parks / Monuments : 20
Stayed In : Summerfield, Florida
Miles Driven : 102.7
Total Trip Miles To Date : 18,533.0
Total Gallons Used : 1,323.8
Biking Miles : 3.3
Biking Miles To Date : 182.2
Hiking Miles : 1.9
Hiking Miles To Date : 390.5
On September 9th, 2019, we set out in our NuCamp T@B 400 Teardrop Camper to travel to every state. You can check out all of our dates here : Dates for the States
There is nothing quite like a visit to a bustling farmers market to inspire a delicious home-cooked meal. Especially when you’ve been away from your own home-grown produce for 6 months!
When back on our little 3 acre Ohio farm, we grow most of our food. And do we ever miss the taste of our fresh, home-grown vegetables! See : Video Tour Of Our Farm’s Garden)
We simply couldn’t pass up an opportunity for fresh produce when we came upon the Lake Country farmer’s market.
And as it just so happened, as we were driving along this morning to our next little adventure, we happened to notice a huge farmer’s market going on at the Lake County Fairgrounds.
Apparently, every Thursday during the growing season, throngs of folks gather here at the fairgrounds for a massive weekly flea and farmers market. And the selection of fresh fruit and vegetables is nothing short of sensational!
The Lake County market was bustling with activity. The hardest part was not trying to buy every fresh vegetable in sight!
I think for both of us, as soon as the farmer’s market came into view, the lights, bells and whistles went off! It was the perfect opportunity to load up fresh produce, and maybe even make an ultra fresh homemade dinner at the campsite.
We have had some amazing meals along the way on this trip (See : Our3 Favorite Diners and Dives So Far), but making a great dinner at the camper is hard to beat! And with sunny skies and temperatures near 70, it certainly was a great day to do it!
Tomatoes are one of our favorites to grow in our garden at home. Seeing these sun-ripened globes made our day!
One Amazing Meal
The hardest part of going through the farmer’s market was holding back from purchasing everything. The strawberries are in season, and they were ripe and delicious. But so was the sweet corn, tomatoes, cucumbers, radishes, and, well, I could go on forever!
We loaded up with as much fresh produce and fruit as we could possibly hope to somehow use and keep in our camper, and as if on cue, as we were leaving, even found a few local, grass fed steaks at the market to make for the perfect meal.
Fresh grilled corn, a salad with a rainbow of vegetables, and grass-fed local steaks. All made on our little grill outside of the camper.
I cannot tell you the thrill we had tonight grilling outside the camper on our tiny camping grill. It really is hard to beat the taste of sweet corn and steaks from the grill. And the salad from all of the fresh vegetables made a wondrous partner to it all. What a fruitful trip it was to the farmer’s market.
I think we both fall in love with this trip a little more every day! Happy Traveling – Jim and Mary
CURRENT TRIP STATUS TO DATE:
Day 172 of 365
States : 21/50
National Parks / Monuments : 20
Stayed In : Summerfield, Florida
Miles Driven : 71.8
Total Trip Miles To Date : 18,502.1
Total Gallons Used : 1331.08
Biking Miles : 4.2
Biking Miles To Date : 178.9
Hiking Miles : 3.5
Hiking Miles To Date : 388.6
About Our Living Simple Tour
On September 9th, 2019, we set out in our NuCamp T@B 400 Teardrop Camper to travel to every state. You can check out all of our dates here : Dates for the States
Today we took a trip, a little off the beaten path, and ended up at a Manatee Viewing Center in Apollo Beach, Florida.
However, it wasn’t at your typical exhibit in an aquarium or zoo. In fact, you might be totally shocked at where we ended up seeing them.
We found this manatee viewing center at a Tampa Electric power plant! No, I am not kidding you. The best place to see a manatee between the months of November through April is at Big Bend Power Station, in Apollo Beach, FL.
This is where manatees gather around the power plant when the natural water temperature dips below 70 degrees F in their typical living environments.
The manatees come every year for refuge in the discharge canal of the Big Bend power plant.
Tampa Electric uses saltwater taken from Tampa Bay to cool Big Bend Unit 4. The water is then cleaned, warmed and put back into the Bay through a discharge canal.
Because manatees are warm-blooded marine animals, they primarily stay in shallow coastal waters, rivers, and springs. Just like many snowbirds in Florida, they don’t like the cold weather.
Although the manatee are there and easy to see, they are difficult to photograph.
So during the winter months, they seek refuge in the warmer waters that the power plant provides.
Manatee Viewing Center
This phenomenon, of manatees traveling to the warm canal, has been occurring since Big Bend Unit 4 was built in 1986.
And because this trend began occurring year after year, The Manatee Viewing Center was created. And now, Big Bend’s discharge canal is now a state and federally designed manatee sanctuary.
Visitors can come and walk along the boardwalk and view the manatees in their own habitat for free. You can also see other plants and wildlife while walking along the path to the observation deck as well.
There is an easily accessible boardwalk that will lead you further out in the water so that you can get a closer look at the manatees.
Because manatees are generally slow moving creatures that tend to float towards the top of the surface, they were easy to spot.
However, because we were so close to them, they were difficult to photograph.
The tail of a manatee that helps propel them from place to place.
We stood there on the observation deck for quite a while in marvel of such a beautiful, yet rustic marine creature.
The manatees have, what we would call, a laid back personality. They glide along slowly, moving forward by using their tail and flippers.
But every once in a while you would see a younger sea cow rolling over in the water in a playful motion. But quickly it would return to the floating and gliding motion just like the others.
Life as a Manatee, Yes or No?
As we headed back to our truck we laughed and wondered what life would be like as a manatee. After thinking about it, we decided that neither of us would make a good manatee. But maybe it would be fun to be one for a day!
Although the Manatee Viewing Center is free, they do have a place where you can provide a small donation to help keep the facility updated and free for visitors in the future.
Happy Traveling – Jim and Mary
CURRENT TRIP STATUS TO DATE:
Day 171 of 365
States : 21/50
National Parks / Monuments : 20
Stayed In : Summerfield, Florida
Miles Driven : 7.8
Total Trip Miles To Date : 18,430.3
Total Gallons Used : 1325.9
Biking Miles : 3.5
Biking Miles To Date : 174.7
Hiking Miles : 1.4
Hiking Miles To Date : 385.3
On September 9th, 2019, we set out in our NuCamp T@B 400 Teardrop Camper to travel to every state. You can check out all of our dates here : Dates for the States
So what are the things you should look for most when trying to find the best campground sites?
Being on the road for what is now our 170th straight day, we have had the pleasure of staying at a myriad of campground sites. Most have been more than wonderful, while a few have certainly been questionable. One, meanwhile, happened to be really, really bad and somewhat scary.
But along the way, there have been a few that have simply been over-the-top stunning.
We were fortunate enough to stay at one such place this past week, the Bay Bayou RV Resort in Tampa, Florida. It has by far been one of the top campsites so far on our journey. The place simply gets it! And our stay there got us to talking about what really makes for the best Campground & RV sites.
Our wonderful stay at Bay Bayou Resort in Tampa got us to thinking about what matters most to us in finding a great campsite.
Beyond trying to find the best value, we are often asked how we choose our campsites, and what we look for most when booking. So we thought for today, we would highlight some of the things we value most in a great RV campground, beyond just the price tag.
What Makes The Best Campground Sites The Best
#1 Safety
By far, this is the most important factor to us. And there are a few key elements to a campground / campsite’s safety that make all the difference.
These are the three we find most important:
Is the campsite located in a good / safe area
Do they have on-site security?
Are the restrooms, paths, walkways and other facilities well lit and marked.
If they have these three things, it provides a sense of safety and comfort that certainly makes the stay more enjoyable.
#2 Level Sites / Pads
After safety, most important to us is the physical space where our camper will be parked. After all, it is the place that you will call home during your entire stay.
Large, level sites with concrete or brick are the best when it comes to camping sites and RV parks. This was our site at Bay Bayou, and as you can tell, it was plenty big!
We look for 4 key things in the physical spot – levelness, ease of available hook-ups, size of the pad, and the spacing between pads.
Concrete pads are by far our favorite. They tend to be the most level, and are great for keeping the camper area dry during rains. It can become hard on you and the camper’s floors wading through soggy mud or sand when hard rains and storms hit.
Our favorite camping spaces also include hook-up towers. It keeps everything nice and neat, and easy to find for hooking up electric, water, and cable when available.
Hook up towers make life easy hooking up at campgrounds.
The bigger the pad – the better! If it allows room for chairs and a table to be set up, it just makes our stay that much better. Finally, we always love it when pads are spaced at least 8 to 10 feet apart. We love people, but it’s always nice to have a little room to breathe. 🙂
#3 Bathrooms / Showers
Next comes the bathroom, shower and laundry facilities. Nothing makes you feel better and more at ease than a nice restroom area!
First and foremost, cleanliness is the top priority. One of the first things we always do is take a walk or a bike ride around to check out the facilities. Although we have an on-board bathroom and shower, it’s nice to use campsite facilities when they are nice and spacious.
Nice big clean bathrooms like these at Bay Bayou make camping life easy on the camper!
We really feel like we hit the jackpot when a campsite has private bath & shower rooms within the restroom facility. By far, they are certainly the most comfortable.
#4 Friendly, Helpful Staff
Staff friendliness is really big for us in making a campground site the best of the best.
It’s funny, but you can usually tell how great a location will be the minute you either book a site, or step inside to check in. Mary and I always use the phrase “Smiles are Free.” It doesn’t cost anyone anything to say hello and smile, but it goes such a long way to making people feel welcome and warm.
Believe it or not, we once checked into a campground where the camp host was not only yelling on the phone at a camper, but then ended his call and greeted us with a “I can’t stand campers!” statement. You guessed it – it was quite the NOT wonderful campground. 🙂
A good staff is not just friendly, but lets you know what to do in the area, and helps point out where everything is. This is where checking reviews comes in handy prior to booking.
#5 Internet Service / Phone Coverage Service
For us, good internet and phone coverage is so helpful. And they are becoming more and more of a necessity for many campers too when it comes to downloading movies, surfing the internet and more.
Cell phone coverage and internet is important to us for both writing – and being warned of incoming storms.
We always check reviews and camping apps to make sure where we are staying has good coverage for our cell phones. Without it, it can be hard to use our phones and be safe with warnings from storms, etc.
Right behind the phone coverage is to have quality internet / wifi service. Most campgrounds are simply not set up for this. They may have it, but it simply has no power and is nearly useless. We were spoiled with our time in Bay Bayou, I think it was faster than our internet at home!
The Little Extras
This isn’t a must for us, but it sure is a big bonus when a campsite or RV park has extra amenities. A community room, a pool, fire pits, or perhaps a meet and greet morning time of coffee and donuts. It all just makes the campground a friendlier place to live.
So there you have it. Or at least you our take on what makes the best campground sites. It is hard to believe our time in Florida is nearing it’s end, and before we know it, we will be in Georgia!
Happy Traveling! Jim and Mary.
CURRENT TRIP STATUS TO DATE:
Day 170 of 365
States : 21/50
National Parks / Monuments : 20
Stayed In : Ocala, Florida
Miles Driven : 145.8
Total Trip Miles To Date : 18,422.5
Total Gallons Used : 1,315.89
Biking Miles : 3.5
Biking Miles To Date : 171.2
Hiking Miles : 1.6
Hiking Miles To Date : 383.9
About Our Living Simple Tour
On September 9th, 2019, we set out in our NuCamp T@B 400 Teardrop Camper to travel to every state. You can check out all of our dates here : Dates for the States
No trip to Ft. Meyers would be complete without a stop to Sun Harvest Citrus.
Once you step inside the green colored packing warehouse you will be amazed at what you can find.
First you will come across a variety of citrus jams and jellies on shelves that line the main entrance aisle. And if you are looking for Key Lime anything, you will find it here!
At the front of the store you will find a variety of citrus jams, jellies, and marmalades.
Then as you proceed to the center of the store, you will see a large selection of distinctive Florida gifts and unique foods. From every beach sign possible to custom made jewelry, there is something for everyone.
However, it is the back of the store that really got our attention. This is where you can find bins and bins of fresh picked citrus.
Citrus Season at Sun Harvest Citrus
During the Citrus Season, which runs from November to April, you can find 9 different varieties of citrus that are harvested.
The inside of Sun Harvest Citrus is filled with fresh and canned fruit and a variety of Florida gifts.
Depending on which month that you arrive you will find oranges, mandarins, tangelos, grapefruit, and even peaches here. And they even give you free samples to try out!
However, the citrus that you will find at Sun Harvest are not grown in the Ft. Myers area. In fact all of the citrus found here is grown along the Indian River Citrus District. This is a narrow strip of land on the eastern seaboard of Florida, stretching 200 miles from the Daytona Beach area to West Palm Beach.
There are lots of bins filled with fresh citrus that you can purchase or have shipped to your home.
The citrus is picked and then shipped to the packing warehouse in Ft. Myers.
In fact, in the very back corner of the warehouse, you can watch how the packing process is completed through a large, open viewing window.
In the back corner of the store you can watch the packaging process through a large glass window.
Fresh Squeezed and Bottled Juice
But what we found most interesting was the juice making process. At the very back of the store you can watch how the juice is squeezed and then bottled into plastic containers.
From fresh squeezed orange juice to grapefruit juice, they make it all right here at Sun Harvest Citrus. And they even combine a few juices to make special combinations.
You can even watch the juice being squeezed an then bottled.
The winner in our opinion – Strawberry Orange Juice! And yes, they give you free samples so that you can choose your favorite too!
Unfortunately, because our refrigerator is so small, we were unable to buy any juice to take with us.
However, they do have the option to ship any of their citrus products, including the juice!
You can sample any of the juices that they sell. We loved the Strawberry Orange Juice combination!
And if you are needing a cool treat to help beat that hot Florida sun, they have the best soft-serve ice cream cones, as well! And of course they have a variety of citrus ice cream flavors to choose from at Sun Harvest!
Although I don’t know this for sure, but I would imagine they would give you a free sample as well!
The Fresh Juice cooler that has to be restocked frequently during Citrus Season.
CURRENT TRIP STATUS TO DATE:
Day 169 of 365
States : 21/50
National Parks / Monuments : 20
Stayed In : Tampa, Florida
Miles Driven : 316.5
Total Trip Miles To Date : 18,276.7
Total Gallons Used : 1,314.87
Biking Miles : 3.1
Biking Miles To Date : 167.7
Hiking Miles : 1.5
Hiking Miles To Date : 382.3
On September 9th, 2019, we set out in our NuCamp T@B 400 Teardrop Camper to travel to every state. You can check out all of our dates here : Dates for the States
When you have been on the road for nearly 6 months, it’s always exciting to have the opportunity to visit with family and friends that live along our path around the country. And did we ever get the chance to do exactly that over the course of our last 5 days in Florida!
We have been looking forward to our time in the Sunshine state for awhile. Not only for the chance to soak in a few bright rays, but to visit with so many of our friends and family who now call Florida home.
Our visit through Florida brought a lot of sun – and a lot of great visits with friends and family!
Mary and I both have large extended families, and it just so happens they both have ties to Florida. Mary’s niece lives in Lakeland, while her Aunt lives down in Ft. Myers. Meanwhile, I have first cousins that live in Gainesville, Punta Gorda, and the Ft. Myers area as well.
A Surprise Visit
And if that wasn’t enough, we even had a surprise visit in the middle of it all from two of our favorite people in the whole world, our neighbors from back home! Below is a look at a few photos from all of the great visits over the last few days.
Visiting With Friends & Family
Our friends and family week started off with a visit with my first cousin Ruthie & her husband Dan in Gainesville. As we talked for hours at lunch, we both realized it had been at least 10 years since we had last visited in person!From Gainesville, it was on to Lakeland, Florida and a visit with Mary’s niece Alexis, and her adorable little daughter Annabelle. Mary last saw Annabelle as an infant, and as you can tell by the photo, loved getting the chance to hug on her again.One of the biggest and best surprises of the week was having the opportunity to have brunch with two of our best friends from back in Ohio – our neighbors Craig and Bev! They happened to be on their way through Florida for vacation, and we had a great brunch together in Tampa.
On To Ft. Myers…
Next up was a trip to Ft. Myers and a chance to see two of my first cousins and their wives all at one great lunch! It was so incredible to sit and catch up with Eddie Joe and Dee, & Jim and Dixie. I have so many fond memories of growing up with family reunions and visits to their houses. I didn’t realize it until another cousin pointed it our later, but Eddie Joe and I are the two bookends of a whole slew of cousins!And our last visit of the week was just a few more miles down the road in Ft. Myers with Mary’s Aunt Cheri. Cheri still lives in the same community where Mary’s parents lived in Florida, and it was nice to get to sit and visit and hear so many old stories. Mary still remembers fondly that it was Cheri that would take them and spoil them with a few treats at Dairy Queen back in the day!
One Perfect Week!
One thing is for sure, it was great catching up with so many of our friends and family. Although, with all of the lunches, we now need to double up our efforts on our bikes and hiking. Especially before we get to Savannah Georgia’s restaurant scene next week!
When we arrived in Tampa, we had no idea what Gasparilla meant. In fact, it wasn’t until we asked someone why traffic was bad around the downtown area that we first heard “It’s Gasparilla season”.
After traveling through the gulf coast areas, we became well aware that Mardi Gras is not an event, it is a season.
And although Tampa doesn’t necessarily celebrate Mardi Gras in the intense ways of those other Gulf Shore cities, it has its own season.
Gasparilla Season
And that season is called Gasparilla. Named for pirate Jose Gaspar, who terrorized the coastal waters of West Florida during the late 18th and early 19th centuries, Tampa’s annual Gasparilla celebration begins with the Gasparilla Children’s Parade.
Many boats line up along the route of the Pirate Invasion that kicks off the adult celebration at Gasparilla!
This family friendly parade is designed to get even the youngest pirates involved in Gasparilla season. It takes place one week before the more famous Pirate Invasion and Fest.
But the following week is when the primary attraction, that brings visitors from all over the world, begins. Here is where over 750 swashbucklers invade Tampa Bay aboard the nation’s only fully functional pirate ship “Jose Gasparilla”. This event is the unofficial start of a 3 month schedule of pirate-inspired events.
Once the pirates overtake the city, the captain and his Mystic Krewe celebrate by leading a four-mile long parade down Bayshore Boulevard.
The Gasparilla parade is the third largest parade in the country and has nearly 100 floats.
However, this isn’t your average, local parade. In fact, it is the third largest parade in the United States! The Parade of Pirates is attended by 300,000 onlookers, many donning period-themed pirate garb.
And yes, just like they do at traditional Mardi Gras Parades, there are beads and other treasures flung into the crowd.
The festivities continue into the evening at the Gasparilla Pirate Fest Street Festival with live music, food and entertainment.
Sant’ Yago Knight Parade
After a week or two of recovery, the next parade begins around the first week of February.
Yes, there are even Gasparilla decorations that line the streets of Tampa.
The Krewe of the Knights of Sant’ Yago has hosted it every year since 1974, and it is considered the largest of its kind in the Southeast.
The parade attracts spectators of every age. In fact, the entire Ybor City area of Tampa comes to life the night of the historic parade.
The Parade itself is an illuminated, colorful celebration with costumed participants, and lots of music and dancers in the streets. It truly is a colorful display of civic pride and of course, lots and lots of beads.
Even the spectators are encouraged to get dressed up to watch the events.
Distance Classic
However we learned about Gasparilla because of the annual Gasparilla Distance Classic.
This event is a series of races held this weekend in downtown Tampa. From a 5K walk to a half marathon, the participants race to the finish for a purse totaling more than $40,000! The entry fees are donated to benefit charitable youth organizations in the greater Tampa area.
And since 1978, the Gasparilla Distance Classic Association has donated over $3.9 million to these organizations.
From a 5K walk to a half marathon, there are runners all over the city this weekend.
So after we learned why we were stuck in a little bit of traffic, we realized it was for a good cause.
And The Fun Continues
Over the next few weeks the fun of the Gasparilla season will continue. There is an art festival next week. And after that there is a huge music festival with several musicians set to perform on two different stages.
And to wrap it all up, is the International Film Festival.
So if you are ever in Tampa to soak up a little sun in the middle of winter, remember, there is something for everyone to enjoy during Gasparilla Season!
This may sound a little strange, but we are on the search to see our first Florida Alligator.
Over the past several days, on our drive through the Florida Panhandle, we would catch ourselves peering out the windows more than normal. Of course, this is in the off-chance of seeing an alligator in the swamp lands along the road.
Although we know this was highly impossible, we still kept looking as we drove from place to place.
On our way through the panhandle and down to Lakeland, Florida, we have kept an eye out our window to see if we could find an alligator.
But now that we are in Central Florida, we are determined to see our first Alligator on this trip.
Florida Alligators
And we aren’t talking about the baby alligators that you can hold at the local, roadside orange juice stand.
We are talking, native alligators that are found in the rivers, lakes, swamps, and marshes.
However, beyond popular belief, the majority of the alligators are not found along alligator alley in southern Florida.
Yes, we have seen plenty of baby alligators as part of roadside attractions, but we are looking for the large, native alligators.
In fact, the highest population is found around the Gainesville area. And yes, this is home to the University of Florida, a.k.a. The Florida Gators.
So we are now on a foot quest to see if we can spot an alligator. However, from a distance, of course.
There are plenty of swamps, marshes, lakes and rivers in central Florida where we can look for our gator.
So today we are heading out to Circle B Bar Reserve to see what we can find.
Circle B Bar Reserve
The Circle B Bar Reserve sits on the northwest shore of Lake Hancock in central Florida. It is a former cattle ranch and today it is the home to a wide variety of plants and animals.
Throughout the 1,267 acres of property you can find several hiking trails on boardwalks through thick oak canopies. And rumor has it that it is almost guaranteed that you will see alligators.
We are confident that we will find an alligator as we walk along the boardwalk of Circle B Bar Reserve.
So today, we are going to take our chances and go on an hunt for Florida alligators! Wish us luck!
Happy Traveling! Jim and Mary
CURRENT TRIP STATUS TO DATE:
Day 166 of 365
States : 21/50
National Parks / Monuments : 20
Stayed In : Winter Haven, Florida
Miles Driven : 50.0
Total Trip Miles To Date : 17,858.7
Total Gallons Used : 1284.8
Biking Miles : 0.0
Biking Miles To Date : 158.4
Hiking Miles : 2.1
Hiking Miles To Date : 376.0
On September 9th, 2019, we set out in our NuCamp T@B 400 Teardrop Camper to travel to every state. You can check out all of our dates here : Dates for the States
The dual power capabilities of our T@B 400 nuCamp camper have been nothing short of a life saver on this trip. In fact, they have really made road life unbelievably easy.
That was never more evident over the course of the last four days, as we made our way across the panhandle of Florida – all without the ability to plug in to conventional power.
The solar mat on top of our T@B 400. The panel powers up the battery bank to run our camper with incredible efficiency.
With snow-bird season in full swing, RV parks in February are a bit hard to come by in Florida. But by relying on the solar side of our dual-powered camper, we simply switched to off-grid camping for the last four nights. And quite honestly, it has been a lot of fun!
Life In The Dual Powered T@B400
One of the things we worried most about before setting out was having enough power to operate anywhere. It is one thing to be hooked up with full electric power at a comfy RV park. But a whole other issue when you are camping on a farm in the middle of nowhere.
Camping off grid with solar power has allowed us to see and experience so many wonderful out of the way places.
For us, the power is more than just for lights, heat, air conditioning and comfort. It also has to help us keep our laptops, cellphones and hotspot alive for writing on the road.
Thankfully, our T@B400 camper is outfitted with a dual powered solar / electrical system. It has, quite honestly, performed beyond our wildest imagination. We get a lot of questions about how it works, so here’s a little peek behind the scenes.
Dual Power Camping
Our T@B comes equipped with two sources of power. A traditional 30 amp plug-in service that runs the entire camper, and a solar powered battery that can operate a large majority of it when unplugged.
A close up of the solar film panel on top of the camper.
The main electrical power is easy enough. We plug it in to the side of our camper, and we have full power. We also carry an adapter allowing us to plug in with a normal 120 outlet if that is the only option available.
Going Off Grid With Solar
When we are plugged into full electric power, the solar system sits on stand by. It does however, stay completely charged from the electric plug in, and from collecting energy from the sun.
It does so with a 190 watt solar mat installed onto the curve of the roof. The solar panel then powers up the battery bank installed under the trailer.
The solar portion of our dual-powered camper has performed beyond our wildest expectations. I love the quick read gauge that shows the power level of the battery.
When we unplug, the solar battery system takes over. It will run all of our LED lights in the camper, as well as our TV, and TV antenna booster. It also runs the refrigerator too – even as we roll down the road.
On a sunny day, we never lose even the slightest bit of charge – even with the refrigerator and lights on. For a typical overnight, we usually drop the battery no more than 10 to 15%. And with just a few hours of daylight, it is usually back to 100% by 10 a.m.
What About Heat and Air Conditioning?
Our radiant heat system runs off electricity when plugged in, but off of natural gas when we go to solar. So in reality, solar gives us nearly every capability we have with full power, except for the air conditioner. And with the windows and great air flow in the T@B, that is the least of our worries.
Our back up solar power pack Apex generator.
As a back-up to it all, we also carry an Ienergy Apex Solar Battery Pack. The self contained unit has 6 plugs and a 30 amp outlet. All of which are more than enough to run our camper for a few more days if needed.
Luckily, it is something we haven’t had to worry about with the impressive performance of the T@B’s dual power system. The T@B really has been a workhorse so far, and the solar power is just one more reason we fall a little more in love with it every day!
For more on the camper, you can see our photo tour here : T@B Photo Tour. Happy Traveling! Jim and Mary.
CURRENT TRIP STATUS TO DATE:
Day 165 of 365
States : 21/50
National Parks / Monuments : 20
Stayed In : Winter Haven, Florida
Miles Driven : 177.8
Total Trip Miles To Date : 17,808.7
Total Gallons Used : 1281.45
Biking Miles : 0.0
Biking Miles To Date : 158.4
Hiking Miles : 1.3
Hiking Miles To Date : 373.9
About Our Living Simple Tour
On September 9th, 2019, we set out in our NuCamp T@B 400 Teardrop Camper to travel to every state. You can check out all of our dates here : Dates for the States
