Back to the serenity of nature. Such a reprieve after staying in an RV park right on I-75. Once again, we are surrounded by trees, birds, and leaves rustling as the wind brushes against them. We even hit the jackpot as the bugs stayed at bay and we could sit outside without the massive mosquito attacks.

Riding around the park, one could see the damage Hurricane Ian caused. Many trees had fallen. Whether they would be cleaned up or lay there to rot was a question we asked ourselves. Either way, this is a park we would revisit again in future travels. There is plenty of distance between campgrounds, and a nice family park along the lake to picnic or cast the fishing rod.

The park is within driving distance of Ellenton Mall, Armands Circle in Sarasota, and downtown St. Petersburg for those who want to adventure outside the park. This park closes out our Season three as our next stop is to spend time with our son and grandson. We will try to continue posting during that time, but they may not be consistent until we begin our journey again in April. This next season is to travel the middle states of the country with our big rock being Michigan. We hear it is a beautiful state. Our plans also include returning to the east coast to see the leaves changing. Fall is amazing but living in Florida, this season is nonexistent.

Email: movebeyondordinary@gmail.com    Instagram: movebeyondordinary

Also found on Youtube

Carey State Park finally opened up after the hurricane, so we made our way down for a short stay before heading to Salt Springs Recreation park. The park had only been opened one day before our arrival. Unfortunately, due to the high risen waters, the spring was closed for the duration of our stay.

We made our way down to Winter Quarters RV park, where we had a two-week stay as our daughter’s wedding venue was only 15 minutes away. This park was on I-75, and the traffic noise was constant and annoying. Needless to say, we did not have a good night’s sleep the entire time we were there. We could no longer make the noise, so we moved to a nearby state park the day after her wedding.

When we tell people, we travel the U.S. in a fifth wheel, most are amazed and think it’s great. However, like most things in life, every day is not paradise. For the most part, we try to stay in state parks or areas where nature surrounds us. Sometimes, especially traveling the east coast, one has to stay in an RV park. The majority of these parks have zero-lot line campsites. You are on top of your neighbor and tend to have a higher noise level. We wanted to share the atmosphere of our surroundings to let you understand it’s not all butterflies and roses. But, for now, we wouldn’t trade this adventure and endure the few not-so-pleasant RV parks we may have to stay in.

Email: movebeyondordinary@gmail.com    Instagram: movebeyondordinary

Since starting our travels, we have visited this campground three times. Our campsite was on tranquil waters, and the sunset views were spectacular. The sky’s palette is calming, and its reflection in the water magnifies its grandeur. We were a little early to see the swarms of coots that often visit this lake each year.

Mitch experimented using the drone while he kayaked on the lake. His concentration on ensuring the drone wouldn’t land in the water and onto his hand led him to make one crucial mistake. He forgot to turn the record button on hence no drone footage. We need to work on employing a drone more often as it provides a different perspective of an area. The only issue is most national, federal, state parks prohibit flying drones.

There was a little hiccup in our plans. Its name was Hurricane Ian. We anticipated there would be strong winds off the water from the storm, and we decided to move from our idyllic water view to a higher ground tucked back into the campground where the winds wouldn’t be so persistent. High winds are not fun when living in a fifth wheel. We also had to extend our stay here as the next campground we were to visit was closed due to the chaos Ian created. The hurricane was a blimp on our travel plans compared to the devastation Fort Myers residents endured and continue trying to put back the pieces of everyday life.

Email: movebeyondordinary@gmail.com    Instagram: movebeyondordinary