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.



View Pictures: http://picasaweb.google.com/johnjoanW/RainbowSpringsSPFeb21Mar1#



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Wekiwa Springs SP (Feb 14 - 21)

Sunday, Feb 14 - We got up about 7AM and packed up to leave. It was more difficult due to the amount of rain we had that made it necessary to do a lot of cleaning. We got on the road at 10:35 AM with a sunny sky and temp of 47 deg. We stopped at 1:32 at a favorite spot, "The Mason Jar", and had a nice baked chicken dinner. Fried chicken was the special, but we behaved ourselves. We were back on the road at 2:24 and arrived at Wekiwa SP at 3:11 Pm after driving 183 miles. It was 59 degrees when we got there. The site is very nice and we really appreciated the gravel site to replace the dirt one at Ft. Clinch. It should help us stay much cleaner. We went over to our friends Dick and Pat's site next to us and enjoyed getting up to date with them while sitting by the fire.

Monday, Feb 15 - What a beautiful day. John was actually able to return to wearing shorts. After breakfast, we took a nice hike down to the springs. We had plans of launching the kayaks after dinner, but by the time we got showered (nice showers) and ate, it got very cloudy and we got a few sprinkles. We will try again tomorrow. It is supposed to be sunny, but cooler tomorrow. After dinner, we again enjoyed a fire with Dick and Pat. We have been enjoying the Olympics and are thankful we have local channels again.

Tuesday, Feb 16 - I guess one warm day in a row is all we can expect. It was sunny today, but the wind had a bite. We did our Walmart run and went out to breakfast and came back to camp and waited for it to warm up before taking our hike. We went down to Sand Lake and John fished for awhile, but nothing to show for it. The fish must be too cold too.


Thursday, Feb 18 - It finally got warm enough, with light enough wind for is to put the kayaks in. The river here is beautiful and there is abundant wildlife. We fished, but with no catches. John had one on that got away. It is supposed to get a little warmer each day through the weekend.

Friday, Feb 19 - Our friends, Ray and Fay, came here and joined us kayaking on the river. The weather finally warmed and gave us a great outing. The river is outstanding, with abundant wildlife. Afterwards we went out for dinner at Chili's.



Ft. Clinch SP (Feb 1-14)

Monday, Feb 1 - We left at 9:07 and 55 deg and arrived here at 2:11 and 59 deg after driving 220,2 miles. We stopped at the Mason Jar rest. in Dona Vista north of Eustis for a nice brunch. We got set up and discovered that the shower was leaking. It apparently froze and cracked during our recent cold snap. John removed the faucet and we will try to get a new one tomorrow. Meanwhile we will have to use outside water and heat it for dishes in a pan. This is minor inconvenience. We commented how much easier this all will be in our new rig. We have a nice site (48) and feel settled in. Even with the abundance of trees, John was able to get a satellite signal.

Tuesday, Feb 2 - Today's main goals were to get gas, food, and a new shower faucet. All three were accomplished and we now have water and meals for the week. We walked down to the beach and fought the wind to fish for awhile, but came back without a hit. It rained most of the night, but was just cloudy all day and still on the cool side.

Wednesday, Feb 3 - We took our usual coffee walk and went down to the river to see if the fishing might be possible, but it was way too cold and windy. We decided to take a hike after pancake breakfast to stay out of the wind. We hiked around Willow Pond, then over to the beach on the Atlantic side where the other campground loop is. We are glad we chose the Amelia River Loop instead, because it would be way too windy on this side. We drove to a couple of places where we were told we could launch the yaks, but were not impressed.

Thursday, Feb 4 - A little warmer today and the sun shined awhile. We checked out Little Talbot SP and stopped for great pizza at Raffone's Brick Oven. It rained this evening.

Friday, Feb 5 - A cold front that brought heavy rain kept us close to the camper today. Thankfully there was no violent weather. At least we had several fishing shows recorded. We also got some odd jobs completed.

Saturday, Feb 6 - The campground nearly filled up today despite the weather. It was very windy today, but as long as we stayed around the campground and in the woods, it was quite pleasant. The sun was out most of the day which made us feel good. We went on a guided hike with a group of campers with a volunteer with the park. He was very knowledgeable and interesting. We both learned a lot about the local flaura and fauna. We went down to the beach and while bracing ourselves against the wind, watch a large ship come down the Mary's River and head out to the Atlantic.

Sunday, Feb 7 - We attended a wonderful contemporary service at a very warm and friendly United Methodist church nearby.

Monday, Feb 8 - We drove down to Jacksonville Beach to meet friends, Laurel and Judy, at Joe's Crab Shack. We had a great lunch and time with them there, followed by a refreshing walk on the beach.

Thursday, Feb 11 - It continues to be quite cold, but not as windy as yesterday. We take a couple of walks during the day, but have been unable to get out and fish. We have stayed very comfortable in the camper with our little space heater. At least it hasn't snowed here.

Friday, Feb 12 - It rained all day, except for a couple of hours in the late afternoon. We stayed inside, except for taking a trip out to have dinner at Barbara Jean's Restaurant near the main bridge over the Amelia River. It was wonderful. Joan had turkey with dressing and John had grilled catfish. We were stuffed when we finished. Many of the sites here have built in swimming pools. Ours is soggy, but no major pool. There is still a chance of snow tonight. Wonderful!

Saturday, Feb 13 - The sun came out about 11AM and things got dried out. We got some things cleaned up and put away and enjoyed a hike along the beach and back thru the woods. A couple we met here (Lee and Mary Jo) came over in the afternoon for snacks and we really enjoyed their company. They are from the Adarondaks.









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