Ochlockonee River State Park

Wednesday April 3 - Friday April 5, 2013
Site 9 Ochlockonee River State Park
Sopchoppy, Florida

 

Wednesday April 3

 

Today we move further  North West into what is referred to as the Forgotten Coast on our way up the Panhandle.

 

 

 

 

We are staying for 11 days at Ochlockonee (O Clock Nee) River State Park.  It is a 543 acre river park along the river of the same name.  The campground has only 30 sites and one bath house.  Sites are sort of higgledy piggledy on the sandy roads next to the river.  Some have excellent river views, others have partial views and most are one row back from the view sites.  The main activities are fishing, swimming and canoeing/kayaking.   The park is about 10 miles from the Gulf of Mexico and next door to St. Mark’s National Wildlife Refuge.  Wakulla Springs State Park and Bald Point State Park are also nearby.

We pull Winnona into a fairly secluded site on  a circle off the main campground road with 5 other sites.  We have a partial water view out the side window.  But it’s raining when we get here so our set up is minimal.

 

Thursday  April 4

Today we drive 28 miles north to pick up Carrie at the Tallahassee Airport.  She’s come from Baltimore to stay with us for 5 days hoping to get some of the warmer Florida weather.  We are excited to see her even though the weather man has not cooperated very well giving us rain today and cooler temperatures tomorrow.  But it’s supposed to warm up for the week-end.

On the way home we stop to pick up some produce at an interesting roadside stand.  We get some of the very last of the Plant City Strawberries.  YUM!!

 

 

 

 

 

Don’t you just love the names down here?  Ochlockonee, Wakulla, and Sopchoppy.  The address for the Ochlockonee State Park is in Sopchoppy Florida where we will very sadly have to leave the day of the Worm Grunting Festival.  Yes you heard me right.  The welcome sign says The Worms are coming, The Worms are coming.   Here’s the web page if you’d like to know all about what we’ll be missing  Sopchoppy Worm Grunting Festival.  Cash prizes for a hula hoop contest would be very interesting

 

  

 

In the evening, we take a walk down to the river at sundown.  It’s looking very beautiful in the changing light.  There will definitely have to be some paddling done here.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Friday April 5

 

Overnight we have a huge rain storm which wakes us all up it is so loud on the roof.  David discovers to his dismay that he has forgotten to close the roof vents so it’s a middle of the night clean up.

After breakfast we drive down to the gulf to visit with our friends Gin and Syl who are camped at the Ho Hum RV Park.  It’s right on the gulf but sadly today is a cool and windy day so we can’t sit outside and enjoy the views.   But we do enjoy their great company by the warmth of their coach Tawanda’s gas fireplace.

 

  

 

 

 

They are off to Pensacola tomorrow.  I hope we’ll be able to meet up with them on the road again soon.  We have a lot of similar views and the conversations are easy.

When we come back, the temperatures are still chilly but the threat of rain seems gone.  We set up the mat and other things on the site so that IF the no-see-ums that we have encountered here for the first time in Florida allow us to be outside when the weather warms up, we’ll be ready.  Vanna helps me.  

The site is nicely secluded from all sides.

 

 

 

 

 

In the evening David makes us some delicious wraps for dinner.  These two are a real pair aren’t they??

I make the buttery chocolate with butter cream icing belated Equinox Cake.  We’ve waited nearly two weeks for this tradition so Carrie can share it with us.  I’m not sure anything is in balance around here.  :-))   But we sure are eating a lot!!

 

 

 

 

   

 

The End