Rainbow Springs SP (Feb 21 - Mar 1)

Sunday, Feb 21 - We left Wekiwa Springs SP a day early to miss the rain that is forecast for tonight and tomorrow that makes packing up difficult. We got on the road at 1:12 pm with 73 deg and arrived at Rainbow Springs SP at 4:30pm after driving 85 miles. This was not too bad considering we had to replace a tire on the truck that went flat. The camper began to sway some so we got out and checked it and discovered the tire was about half way flat. The campground is nice, with very clean, huge sites, but there are not many trees.

Monday, Feb 22 - After breakfast, we drove into town to drop of the tire to get fixed. It should be ready to pick up tomorrow. We also stopped at Walmart for supplies. It the afternoon, since we are expecting storms and didn't want to launch the kayaks, we walked down to the springs again and fished for awhile from the dock and kayak launch. John caught a small bream and lost another. We have seen bass and are determined to catch some. As fore-casted, the storms came in late in the afternoon, but thankfully, none were severe. It did rain hard for awhile, though.


Tuesday, Feb 23 - Today was the prettiest since we started out on Feb 1. We put in here at the park and Ray and Faye put in at KP Hole and we paddled up river to the head springs. The river is georgeous with loads of wildlife. We could see many large bass but John and Ray did not catch any. John managed to land two small bream. After our paddle we treated ourselves to a fish dinner of the fish we did not catch at Gruff's Rest. on the river. It was great to sit outside and enjoy the river while we ate. We picked up the tire which had a bad valve and John put it back on back at the campsite.

Wednesday, Feb 24 - We figured we had better take advantage of the weather and get the kayaks out again bafore the next rain and cold front hit later today. Joan had three fish get off before she could get them to the boat and John caught three bream and lost a keeper sized bass. John put on a lighter weight tippet and began getting many more strikes including the bigger bass, so the ultra clear water with even ten pound fluorocarbon tippet may have been our problem in not catching many fish we'll get them next time. The rain hit about 3:30 and is already getting cooler.

Thursday, Feb 25 - Since today's high temp was only going to be about 50 deg and windy, we took the opportunity to do some exploring in the area. We drove out to Yankeetown out Hwy 40 to the end on the Gulf. There is a boat launch there and a nice picnic area with a potty (a must for kayak trips.) Next we stopped at Nature Coast Landing Campground and took a ride around. They have sites for sale as well as rent. It was excellent and might provide a place to stay in the future with our new unit (no pop-ups allowed.) Nearby is a bike trail and boat launch on the canal that runs between Lake Rousseau and the Gulf. We also explored Withlacoochee Gulf Preserve, which was very nice. Launching there would be very tide dependent. Last we stopped at a recreation area by the dam on Lake Rousseau, which was good. Despite the cold temps it was a great day.

Friday, Feb 26 - Last night was the coldest we have ever camped. It got down in the mid 20's for a few hours. We were snug in our bed, but the faucet froze. John had disconnected it before we went to bed and drained the hose and shower, so no damage to our camper. The sun came out strong this morning and thawed everything quickly. It warmed up enough to get the kayaks out again. Joan had a couple of fish on, but sadly lost them. John caught one small bass and one that was a quarter inch under keeper size of 14 inches on a chartreuse wooley bugger.

Saturday, Feb 27 - We drove over to the Villages and had lunch with a group of folks from Vermont who lived in the area where Joan grew up. Many of them knew her and her family. We have gotten together every year for the last five years. Our good friends Julie and Barry were also there and we went over to their place in the Villages afterwards. John fished in their pond without success, we watched Windsor High School girls basketball team win to go on in the state semi-finals, and went out for pizza. It was a very nice day, even though it rained for a large part of the day.

Sunday, Feb 28 - We overslept this morning, so we missed church. The sun is shinning and even though the breeze is rather cool, it is a very pleasant day. We got some of the things packed away and readied for our return to Zephyrhills tomorrow. It has been a good trip despite some lousy weather. We took a bike ride around some local trails here in the park through the woods. It was a pretty ride. Many folks have left today and others have filled in the sites right behind them. There were many kids here over the weekend despite the rain.

Monday, Mar 1 - It was foggy and still cool this morning, with dew on the ends and awning, so packing up was rather slow. We left about 10:15 and 55 deg and 1:00 pm and 68 deg when we arrived after driving 80 miles. Even though the weather was much wetter and cooler than normal, the trip was enjoyable. We met some great people and were able to kayak and visit with friends. We now need to sell the pop-up and await delivery of our new motorhome. Watch for updates.



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