Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined.

Henry David Thoreau

Back to Lithia; On to Highlands

Monday January 21, 2013
Site 97 Highlands Hammock State Park
Sebring, Florida

 

 

We are getting very familiar with the Lazy Days’ service waiting room.

 

Lithia on Sunday 008

 

 Lithia on Sunday 006

Saturday makes our 3rd day in the Lazy Days waiting room.  At this point we’ve staked out a sofa where we read/use the computers and nap.   Today we also take a walk around the sales lots and look at a many coaches which is surprising because the map of Lazy Days areas at the Tampa RV Show would lead me to believe they have all their inventory there.  Not so.   All of the rigs are unlocked and available to go in.  So we went through the 2013 Tiffins and the Winnebagos, looked at all the used class A’s from 1999 to 2012, enjoyed the “Little Guy” and this unusual camper that we’d never seen before.  It is set up out in front of the main entrance to the sales building.

 

Lithia on Sunday 021

 

The beds are actually very comfy.  Yes I get in and try them out.
I think seriously about taking a nap here instead of inside in the waiting room.

Lithia on Sunday 022

 

Lithia on Sunday 023

 

 

Clearly not a full timing rig.  :-)  
But still very inexpensive and utilitarian.  Look at all it can do.

Lithia on Sunday 012

Lithia on Sunday 013

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Lithia on Sunday 020

 

 

It is a lot easier walking around and looking at rigs here than at the Tampa RV Show.  And there seem to be no end to them.  You can get in quite a few miles walking.


Thankfully, Friday night turns out to be our second and last night at the All Light All Night Motel.

 

 

Later Saturday afternoon we are finally released.

  David looks over the work and is pleased about some and not pleased about others.  In order to be released, you must pay the bill and give the paid slip to the gate attendant or he won’t let you out. 

After this bill  it’s gas and groceries only for a long time.  I never expected to be glad that Florida requires you to pay for reservations when you make them even if it is 11 months in advance.  Other than spots without reservations like Lithia Springs and Big Cypress, we are paid up through March.  So we may be able to seriously tighten our belts.

 

We manage to get back to Lithia Springs before the 6:00 locking of the gate.  We had left a few things on the site so it would look occupied and for reasons unknown someone wanted one of our 4 jack blocks.  David had left them as his “landing pad” in place when we went to Lazy Days on Thursday thinking we would be back that night. 

We had not uncommon different thoughts  about what we should leave.  David on the side of “nobody will take anything” and me on the side of “pack it all up just in case”.   We went with his strategy.  Small loss but an inconvenience.  

David had made the blocks out of lumber from the farm.  We had two large and three small.   Why someone would want to walk off with a block with a marine rope handle is beyond us.  We’d also left the kayaks and bikes locked up.  Our water hose was there and the herbs were on the table.  Wish I had thought to take a picture of the remaining large block.  They really are quite clever.  But both times I was working on this blog, it was under the coach.

We have a wonderful quiet DARK night on Saturday.  Perfect sleeping except for the pesky cough.  I am trying all suggested remedies with no results so far.

Lithia on Sunday 049

 

 

We spend Sunday outside enjoying the park on our only day to actually be here. 

We were here a great deal of winter, spring and early summer last year and no doubt we’ll be back next year at some point.  It’s our park of choice for relatively short terms stays in the Moffitt area.  Especially site 40.   Its only draw back is the insane number of speed bumps.  Seriously excessive.

Lithia on Sunday 024

 

We take a walk around the park and find the spring deserted and only one egret enjoying the spring run.  The water is a gorgeous aqua marine blue.  It disappears into the brown waters of the Alafia River just at the bottom of the spring run.  There is actually almost a line between them.

 

Lithia on Sunday 025

 

The Blue Heron is all alone with the fish in the lovely secondary spring.  The weather is perfect.  High of 77, low of 59.

 

Lithia on Sunday 040 

 

David fiddles outside most of the day doing those little chores he enjoys.  I sit down by the river and read. 

It is a perfect day to go paddling on the Alafia and we have the site that connects directly to the put in.  But both of us just want a do nothing day to hang out and enjoy the site.  So that’s what we do.

 

This shot is taken from WinnonaLithia on Sunday 051

 

Lithia on Sunday 052

 

 

This one is taken from where I’m sitting.  Winnona is upper left.Lithia on Sunday 061

  

Another dark and quiet night in site 40.  Although my cough keeps me awake and I’m tired when I wake up on Monday

 

 

Monday morning we pack up and take an easy drive 71 miles south to Highlands Hammock State Park.

 

The drive is all on secondary roads.  We miss one turn and  there is seriously no place to turn around a 35’ rig with a car on a tow dolly.  But after checking the map I see that we can just continue on and come in at the other end of the park driving through Sebring.  Only about 6 miles out of our way.

We arrive around 1:00.  Highlands Hammock is one of the oldest parks in the Florida State Park System.  It was not created for big rigs even Winnona’s size (34’).   Some of the campsites can handle them but the area around the ranger’s station where you have to stop to check in can not.  There is quite an RV Jam of folks trying to check in and little room to pull off the state road which runs through the park.  

We are curious to find out what makes this park so popular.   The campground is pretty willy nilly as far as sites go.  Not sure I can see any rhyme or reason to how they are set up. 

David does an amazing job of getting us pulled in between a popup and a casita both of which have large circles of chairs outside their “rigs”.  Looks like big groups gather there.

We are told by the Casita owner, a man from Connecticut, that there was an even bigger rig in this site last night.  I am amazed.  

 

Site Picture 2

We get set up in site 97 and watch a little bit of the inauguration.  I must admit that as much as I hate crowds, were I still living just outside of Charlottesville, Virginia  less than two hours from DC, I would have gone to see this president inaugurated again.  I’m hoping that the congress will  let him do some of the things he campaigned on since a majority of the people voted for him and his agenda.  I’m tired of all the bickering and “other side” mentality.  Let’s just let the president the people elect do what he campaigned on and if we don’t like it, we’ll change it and elect someone new.  I’m tired of the president, whoever he is, being able to do nothing because of the congress.

Opps sorry for the political rant.  Back to Highlands Hammock.  

The sites here vary quite a bit and are in the main very close together. It’s like a little village and if you have lots of friends here, I bet it’s great fun.  But there is no privacy at least in the site we are in.  Both of our neighbors have large circles of chairs on their campsites and are laughing and joking.  But by dinner time they have all drifted back to their own campsites.   So I expect another quiet night.  Yippee!

 

David takes a bike ride around the park to check out the CCC museum, the Hammock Inn and find out about the 9 trails which are described as easy and 15-30 minutes in length.  Normally the shortness would disappoint me.  But the crud lingers and a couple of them is all I can do at one time I’m afraid.  That’s why I didn’t go with him on the ride.  I am too tired from poor sleep last night.  But while he is gone I make a pot of Red Lentil Soup.  It’s a new recipe for me and luckily turns out to be delicious.   Nothing like soup to perk you up when you don’t feel well.  And it does.  Maybe I’ll just have it for breakfast, lunch and dinner until this crud leaves me.

 

Lentil Soup 001

 

We’ll be here six days so that will be plenty of time to check out one of the oldest of Florida’s state parks.

30 comments:

  1. Just read another blog about coughing. They tried vicks vaporub on their feet and socks and said they slept through the night.
    Dont know if it really works but it may be worth a try.

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    1. What a riot Kristine. Thanks for letting me know. At this point, I think I'd try anything. I'll let you know how it goes.

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  2. Glad to see you are finally in the dark :) and out of there..and its nice to see you 'sitting' down for a change..enjoy!!!

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    1. Thanks Elaine. And thanks for the recipe. I'm going to veganize it!

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  3. That red lentil soup looks yummy! Glad you are outta Lazy Days and off to better places :)

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    1. It was delicious Laurie and what's even better is there's lots left.

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  4. That soup looks like it should be just what the doctor ordered. Yum! Hope you're on the mend soon.

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    1. We'll see whether the soup can do what none of the other suggestions have at least to this point. But Yum is right Gail.

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  5. That soup looks good! think u need to send me the recipe!!!
    Hope u are feeling better really soon..

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    1. Looks like the soup is the hit of the blog. Guess I'd better post the recipe.

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  6. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  7. Ah that little camper was so cute. A Mini Cooper pulling it how sweet, I could do that.
    The beds did look comfortable, better than on the cold, damp, ground.
    Wish I had a home remedy for coughs but honey and lemon was what I was going to suggest and looks like you have tried that.

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    1. Hi Tammy, good to hear from you. It was such an interesting combination of utility trailer that could carry bikes and kayaks and then turn itself into a little tent camper. And what a price. I'll bet they sell a lot of them.

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  8. My favorite remedy for coughs is honey, tea and a slice of ginger that has steeped in the tea. (actually I boil the fresh ginger in water to make it extra strong.... I really like ginger.) Nice to be back out in the fresh air!!

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    1. I'll add this one to my list of recommended get rid of the crud recipes. One of them has to work right? Thanks for the comment. Love your new icon. Go get em'!

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  9. Here's another vote for the soup recipe. Hope you get over the cough before much long; I know how bad it is when a cough keeps you from getting a good night's rest.

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    1. Hi Erin, Wonder if I should turn this into a recipe blog? Everybody seems to like food pictures. Or perhaps everybody is just hungry tonight. :-)

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  10. I heard that when you get that cough you can expect it to last for 2 weeks. I once tried the Vaporub cure but it didn't do anything one way or another. I watched the inauguration as well as the parade. I just loved the parade and think I will have something to say about it in my blog tomorrow. Ah, the diversity was so refreshing!

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    1. Guess I have some days to go yet on this crud. Thanks for sharing your experience Gypsy. I'm glad to hear that you too enjoyed the wonder of this inauguration on this unique day.

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  11. Well, I look forward to seeing what this cramped oldest park has that's so spectacular. Got to be better than the RV shop.

    Sure hope that cough goes away.

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  12. Hope the crud surcumbs to the soup...which looks delicious!!! I could also eat soup and bread three meals a day. They are my favorite food groups;o))

    Get feeling better to you can explore and share what you find at Highlands Hammock!!!

    While it does seem to take a little longer than you plan to get repairs done at Lazydays, it is so nice that you don't have to find other accomodations while the rig is being work on.

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  13. How about an onion pineapple salad with honey dressing. Might ease up some of the symptoms....coughs are miserable. Bet that hot soup helped!

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  14. Glad you finally escaped from Lazy Days. Maybe "Lazy" is practised too much in their service department.

    Can't believe someone stole your blocks! Some people! :c(

    Loved that little pop up camper, a large RV could carry it as a "lifeboat" so no one would have to spend time at LD.

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  15. Very informative blog. The little 'non-fulltimer' camper sure is cute. I'm glad you got to leave Lazy Days and have at least one day at the favorite Lithia Spring site - I remember that one and liking it very much. I hope the Hammock stays quiet and the cold goes away - days and days of that can't be at all fun. Enjoy the warmth there - it's not even 20 degrees here in Maryland today!

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  16. Have fun with crud until it turns into phenomena. I did not see a bottle of Mucinex ( Fast-Max ) Severe Congestion & Cough on your table. It worked for me, take in the morning and blow your nose all day and then take in the afternoon and blow your nose all evening, then do not take at night and sleep all night. No coughs as you are cleaning out your chest. Repeat for two or three days.
    This has worked for me and wifey in the past and it worked for me this time. That bug I got at Disney was one bad dude.
    You may just have a problem with drugs, I do not know about. Hope you get well.

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  17. Sherry,
    I still have the cough too...... Second week heading into three.... Ended up going to the Doc said it can last a month ....... Ugly all the way around..... I got some cough drops that look like pearls from the Doc don't seem to help much but the tech at the drug store suggested Honey and Herb Recoli (sp!). They seem to help a bit ........nasty as can be this crud .....
    Wow, Charlottesville ......there you go again bringing up my favorite spots in this wonderful country of ours.... Spent 22 years in Washington and one of my favorite spots for a three or four day get-away.....Charlottesville !!!! I have been to quite a few swearing in ceremonies and festivities ...... It always makes one sooooooo proud to be an American and proud of our Democracy ......
    Hope you have a great week in the middle of the state .....try to leave the cough there !!!!!! The spot sounds like it will be great for R&R ....... SallyB

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  18. I watched the inauguration all day ... loved it. What a cute little tent camper thingy...

    boo hiss on your not feeling well and boo hiss on the jerks that stole something that you wonder why ... jerks just ... well, are jerks.

    Loved the pictures too ... so pretty ~ I do believe I need to be heading on down to Florida... yep

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  19. Mucinex severe cough and cold helped with the phlegm during the day, Halls honey and lemon drops helped during the day and Robitussin at night helped keep the cough at bay so I could sleep Course then the next morning, your body wants to get rid of all that junk so you about cough your insides out trying to get it out! UGH! Loved that little tent camper thingy! Every so often we see tiny tiny little units with a big truck parked on a site and wonder how much time people can spend in the little units before they go stir crazy!

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  20. Hope by now, Sherry, you have found the miracle cure for your cough.. or that the cough just finally decided to leave you alone.... would have been good if you could have passed the germ on to the person who stole David's "inventions". Are you ready to downsize to the cute little camping unit... you should be able to pull it behind the Honda. That is really simplicity. The Waltons and the Boyds are preparing for a little more snow... again. We need a big snow to really make it count. Not good temps up there for Roger to be on the golf course. Always glad to see David feeling good and being able to get up and "go".

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